How Azimio allied protests remained peaceful in Mt Kenya

Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga addresses a crowd at Quarry in Rongai, Kajiado County on March 19,2023 after attending church service in the town. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

The Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance staged peaceful protests in some counties from the Mt Kenya region ahead of tomorrow's mass action.

The demonstrations were held in Muranga town, Kiambu, Nyandarua, and Nakuru counties, while in some counties like Embu and Nyeri, the opposition sympathizers chose to issue pressers affirming their support to their leader, Raila Odinga's call for mass action.

In Muranga, Habire Chege, a youth leader and former Nominated MCA led demonstrators in Muranga town streets, the strongholds of Kiharu Mp Ndindi Nyoro, a firm adherent of President William Ruto.

In a region where Nyoro was re-elected without producing a campaign material, the protests were peaceful, with Chege and his pack of close to 500 protestors crisscrossing Muranga town and causing a temporary traffic snarl-up.

Chege said aware that they could not be allowed by the police to hold the protests, they did not write to inform the police of their intentions as they would not only reject their pleas and monitor the organizers.

"As organizers, we remained tight-lipped in our plans and stormed Muranga town by surprise, our intention was not to harm or destroy people's business but to show our solidarity with our leader Raila in his quest to have a free Kenya," Chege said.

Among the issues that Chege and his team highlighted were the high cost of living and the appointment of Chief Administrative Secretaries at a time when the country is affected by hard economic times.