Raila Odinga: March to State House is on

Azimio leader Raila Odinga. [File, Standard]

Azimio leader Raila Odinga says the march to State House during Monday's mass protests is still on.

During an interview with Citizen TV yesterday, Odinga had said only a few emissaries from the opposition political outfit will be sent to State House.

In a public statement made on his official social media pages on Sunday morning, Odinga urged his supporters to meet in Nairobi's Central Business District before the march begins.

"We will assemble at the Central Business District (CBD) tomorrow before we march to State House to take our leadership. It is time for us to save our country, if not now then right now," Odinga says in his statement.

The former Prime Minister says the protest is influenced by: the high cost of living, tribalism in state appointments, biased IEBC officials' recruitment process, and disputes in the 2022 poll results.

"Our people are suffering from the high cost of food, electricity fuel, and others. He has removed subsidies put in place to cushion the people of Kenya. He is the most tribal president Kenya has ever had and you can see that from his appointments which are divisive," Odinga says.

"IEBC is the referee and all parties must be involved in recruiting commissioners. The president has proceeded to do it as UDA only. This is their plan to steal the 2027 elections. We will also march to protest the 2022 election results," he adds.

Hours before, Odinga had said the coalition would not unlawfully march to the house on the hill but would send its representatives to communicate their grievances to President William Ruto.

He said that, through former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, the coalition had already informed the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome about the said peaceful demonstrations.

"We are people who respect and know the law...Our leader Wycliffe Oparanya wrote to the Inspector General of Police informing him that we would hold a rally. Those who will be able to come to Nairobi will come to Nairobi and those unable will hold their meetings wherever they will be," he said.

"It will be peaceful protests and they have the memorandum which they will take to different government offices. Here in Nairobi, we also have the memos which we are going to take to the President. If he will be in Harambee House, we will take the memos there, if he will be in State House, we will send people to take it there; not the crowd. We will send a message through a few people to take our petition to the President, not the whole crowd."

However, Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei says the mass action is illegal adding it will not be allowed because it does not meet the required threshold.

"The Constitution under Article 37 provides that every person has the right peaceably and unarmed, to assemble, demonstrate, picket and petition to the public authorities. However, the Public Orders Act, 2012 Section 5 (2) provides that any person intending to convene any meeting or a public procession shall notify the regulating officer of such intent at least three days but not more than fourteen days before the proposed date of the public meeting or procession," said Bungei.