Gov’t has withdrawn security detail of Azimio leaders – ODM

Tuesday, May 2nd, 2023 16:38 | By

Raila Odinga and other Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya leaders when they addressed a press conference in Nairobi on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. PHOTO/Courtesy

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party now claims that the government has ordered the withdrawal of security detail attached to Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition party leader Raila Odinga. In a statement, ODM said that the security detail attached to Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and the Narc-Kenya party leader was also withdrawn. ODM also says the security for other elected leaders affiliated with Azimio has also been withdrawn. "The Ruto govt has ordered the immediate withdrawal of security details of party leader Raila Odinga, Martha Karua and Kalonzo Musyoka together with those of other elected leaders in Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition," ODM stated. This comes after hours of a cat-and-mouse game between the police and Azimio leaders and supporters who had planned anti-government protests in the city. Earlier on Tuesday morning, the police teargassed a section of Azimio MPs and Senators outside the Office of the President where they had gone to present a petition on issues they wanted addressed. According to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, at least 50 legislators who had matched peacefully to the Office of the President were teargassed by the police. “My colleagues and I have been teargassed outside the Office of the President as we marched peacefully to deliver the people’s petition. Gachagua told us we knew where to find them. We do. We went there and instead met the police. Cowards!” Sifuna stated. Among the notable figures caught in the melee include Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang, Likoni MP Mishi Mboko, and Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu. On Monday, Raila defied directives by the police who termed the protests as unlawful.

Azimio plans

Azimio had planned to present a petition to IEBC, the Office of the President, the National Treasury and the Public Service Commission. "We repeat that the only violence and destruction of property that have taken place during our activities are when police invade our marches and when Gachagua hired goons to invade the Kenyatta family farm and stole sheep and cut down trees. It is instructive that to date, nobody has been arrested over that invasion of the farm. Nobody has been arrested over the destruction of Spectre International factory by goons hired by the same Gachagua. The state cannot purport to ban our activities on grounds that it is protecting public property while at the same time sponsoring the destruction of property in another corner of the city," he said. Earlier on Tuesday, a couple of vehicles including a mini-bus and a trailer were burnt in Nairobi, though it is not yet confirmed whether Azimio supporters were involved.