Opposition leader Raila Odinga is today expected to lead a second mass action against President William Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza government.
Raila last week said promised the biggest anti-government protests yet, appealing to his supporters to turn up in large numbers on Monday, March 27.
“We call upon all patriotic Kenyans to come out in large numbers for the mother of all demonstrations in Nairobi on Monday (March 27), and to do so peacefully,” Raila said.
However, Interior Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Millicent Omanga on Sunday, March 26, asked all unemployed Kenyans to give Raila’s anti-government a wide birth.
In a statement, Omanga further told other working Kenyans to go to work as usual instead of picketing.
“Kesho kila mtu akae kwa kazi yake na kama huendi kaa kwa nyumba yako tafadhali (Tomorrow everyone should go to their work and if you are not going, please stay at home),” Omanga said in a Tweet.
High stakes are expected in today’s demos after the Inspector of General Police Japhet Koome and the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga exchange bitter words over who is more powerful than the other.
While the IG had warned that anyone who will be found protesting will be ruthlessly dealt with, including but not limited to arrests, Raila on the other hand dared Koome to personally arrest the veteran politician.
Raila said he will be in the front line to lead the demonstration and asked IG not to misuse the junior police but to face him one on one.
“Bwana Koome, Koma kabisa. Unasema ati unaweza shika kila mtu, mimi niko tayari, nitakuwa kwa mstari wa mbele, Koome hapana tuma askari njoo wewe mwenyewe tuonane ana kwa ana (I have heard you saying that you are going to arrest everyone. I am ready for you. Koome, don’t even send police officers to come and arrest me. Come and arrest me personally. Come and face me one on one),” Odinga said.
