Opposition leader Raila Odinga on Tuesday, April 4, visited his supporters who were injured during the Azimio demonstrations last week.
In a statement, Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party said the victims are currently receiving their treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital and Mbagathi Hospital in Nairobi.
The Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party chief further claimed that most of the injured were victims of police brutality.
“Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga today visited victims of Police brutality that are currently recuperating at Kenyatta and Mbagathi Hospitals in Nairobi,” the party said.
During the protests, several people lost their lives while others were seriously injured courtesy of what the opposition termed as ‘police brutality’.
In his State of the Nation Address on Sunday, April 2, Kenya’s President William Ruto revealed that the Azimio protests had resulted in three deaths.
The Head of State further stated that more than 400 Kenyans including 60 police officers were seriously injured during the protests.
Others Azimio supporters were arrested but the prosecution has since dropped their cases.
The drop in their cases happened just a day after former Prime Minister Raila Odinga temporarily suspended the weekly protest and agreed to hold talks with President William Ruto.
“We stand down our demonstrations for Monday, April 3, 2023. But in doing so, we want to emphasize that the right to assemble, to demonstrate, petition, and speak are iron-clad as provided for in our constitution,” Odinga told the press on Sunday, April 2.
Odinga had called for protests twice a week after rejecting the outcome of last year’s election and criticizing the government’s handling of the cost-of-living crisis.