‘Declare your stand on mass action’ – Naivasha MP tells Uhuru
Naivasha Member of Parliament Jayne Kihara has called on former President Uhuru Kenyatta to declare his stance on the mass action set to take place in Nairobi on Monday, March 20, 2023.
Speaking in Kianyaga High School, Nyeri county where she had joined Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for an alumni meeting, the lawmaker said that, due to the fact that Uhuru still recognises Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga as his party leader, he should speak up on where he stands.
"We must tell our former President Uhuru Kenyatta that if he is not in this maandamano thing he must come out, we have heard him say Raila Odinga is still his leader. If you have a hand in this protest come out and tell us your position," she remarked.
Kihara was referring to Uhuru's remarks on Saturday, February 11, when he stressed that he is retired but not tired and declared his support for Raila Odinga.
Uhuru was speaking in Luanda after the burial of Prof George Magoha.
"Mimi munajua sasa nimestaafu si ni kweli? Mimi nimestaafu nko retired but I am not tired. Tunaelewana? I am retired but not? Ama ni namna gani? Na sasa mimi munajua ya kwamba party leader ni nani? (Crowd shouts 'Raila Amolo Odinga'. Uhuru asked the crowd thrice who his party leader is) Namna hio (he acknowledged the crowd)," Uhuru said.
Azimio has maintained that they have been forced to call for mass action since the negotiation window with the government closed and their call for dialogue was dismissed.
"There were certain issues that we felt were critical and the administration would address, one is the fact that Kenyans continue to feel the high cost of living the question of when the cost of unga is going to come down has always been a moving target," Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna said during a media interview.
He added: "Unfortunately our brothers on the other side have ignored our invitations to dialogue and we are left with no option but to express our frustration through what our constitution has allowed us to use. The window for dialogue has closed because we were hoping we would discuss these issues within the time frame that we gave."
