Raila Vows to Form His Own Electoral Commission

Azimio la Umoja Leader Raila Odinga on Friday, July 7, vow to form his own electoral commission should the Select Committee go ahead with the process without considering the coalition’s views.

The former premier was addressing the press minutes after the planned Saba Saba demonstrations ended in running battles around Nairobi City.

Other Azimio honchos on Friday, July 7, also led demonstrations in other parts of the country with former Gichugu MP Martha Karua taking the streets in Kirinyaga.

“I want to make it very clear that if they ignore us then that will be a Kenya Kwanza commission which will not be party to. We as Azimio la Umoja will also go ahead and form our own electoral commission,” Raila threatened.

National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi announced during the presser that another round of nationwide protests will take place on Wednesday, July 12.

The protests follow months of failed talks between a bipartisan committee appointed by the ruling Kenyan Kwanza and Azimio in March.

The opposition wants President Ruto’s administration to tackle the rising cost of living, open election servers, and stop the ongoing recruitment of electoral body commissioners.

“We have also said that the people of Kenya have a right to demonstrate and picket because these are rights enshrined in our constitution,” Raila affirmed.

“We are, therefore, collecting 10 million signatures in order to delegitimise this regime. In response, we will carry out our own referendum in order to delegitimise this regime.”

Raila claimed that Ruto’s administration had personally targeted him during the protest that began from Kamukunji Grounds to Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).

Former Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria noted that the Azimio la Umoja will soon lead a major protest in Central Kenya in order to denounce President Ruto’s regime.

“People from Central Kenya have been asking us when we will go to the Mountain Region and organise a big protest against this regime. They should not worry because we are going there,” Mwangi wa Iria assured Azimio la Umoja supporters.

Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka took to his backyard in Machakos County to spread the anti-government message among his supporters.

Other leaders in the protests on Friday include former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and former Presidential Candidate George Wajackoya who led their supporters in Kakamega and Vihiga Counties respectively.