Raila: Azimio protests remain on course despite assassination threats
Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition party leader Raila Odinga claims that Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria have threatened opposition leaders.
Raila in a press release on April 30, 2023, claimed that Azimio leaders received threats to their lives because of the planned demonstrations slated for May 2, 2023.
“The warnings have included repeated threats of assassination of Azimio leaders from Mr. Rigathi Gachagua and Mr. Moses Kuria. The latest grim warning has come from Hon. William Ruto, who yesterday vowed to stop the planned demonstrations at all costs and declared them “nonsense”,” Raila said.
The Azimio leader vowed to soldier on in spite of the said threats. He defended the planned demos stressing that the constitution provides that every person has the right to peaceably and unarmed assembly and to demonstrate, picket, and present petitions to public authorities.
“Unless Mr. Ruto wants to suspend the constitution and rule by decree, we will exercise our right to assemble, demonstrate, picket and present petitions on Tuesday, 2nd May 2023, as earlier announced, dark threats notwithstanding,” Raila said.
“We remind Hon. Ruto that the powers, responsibilities and functions of a Commander in Chief, which he repeats he is, are clearly spelt out in the Constitution and do not include the overthrow of the constitution, which he is attempting to do with attacks on our planned protests,” he added.
The Azimio leader further noted that he was ready for any eventuality should the government decide to turn the planned demos into a showdown.
“If the regime chooses to turn our peaceful and constitutional activities into a showdown and assassinations that Mr. Kuria and Mr. Gachagua are threatening, so be it, we are ready,” he stressed.
The Azimio leader further revealed that the political outfit will present a petition to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) showing that the election results were doctored and demand an audit of the servers.
Raila said that Azimio will also petition the IEBC against the sacking of four commissioners, stressing that the move presents a dangerous precedent in which in all future elections, all commissioners would be required to agree with the chairperson of IEBC, effectively making election a one person show.
The coalition also plans to present a petition to the Office of the President proving that the cost of food, fuel, electricity and fees remain unacceptably high.
“We will further petition OP to desist from invading and destroying rival political parties as was attempted on Jubilee headquarters and through auction of MPs in Parliament,” Raila said.
“We will be visiting the National Treasury on 2nd May, 2023 to petition for the immediate release of all funds owed to counties and the timely payment of salaries to all civil servants,” he added.
Azimio further plans to visit the Public Service Commission on the same day to demand that appointments to public offices be done purely on the basis of merit and inclusivity, not tribe as is presently the case.
“We cannot have a country of close to 50 tribes where appointments go only to members of one tribe,” the Azimio leader said.
Raila also claimed that cults enjoy the protection from State House.
“We shall not agree be cowed into silence when so many things are going wrong in the country; with cults that enjoy patronage and protection from State House killing Kenyans, including children, in their hundreds, goons hired by the state invading and destroying private property, massive corruption making a grand return to the country and tribalism taking an unprecedented sway in public offices,” the Azimio leader said.
