Azimio leaders yesterday called on Kenyans to turn out in large numbers for mass action should the Kenya Kwanza administration fail lower the cost of living and heed calls for electoral reforms.
Addressing crowds in Esiandumba in Vihiga and Amalemba grounds in Kakamega, the alliance’s top leaders said their 14-day ultimatum to President William Ruto issued on February 2 still stands.
Raila Odinga (ODM), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Martha Karua (Narc Kenya), Eugene Wamalwa (DAP-K) and Jeremiah Kioni of Jubilee said they would fight for the rights of Kenyans whatever it takes.
They accused Kenya Kwanza of steering the country in the wrong direction. Raila took the crowds through a declaration that read: “Given the high cost of basic goods like unga, sugar, petrol, diesel, paraffin, and school fees among others, we hereby declare full support to efforts by Azimio to force Kenya Kwanza to restore subsidies and bring down the cost of food and education.”
IEBC servers
It went on: “We also want the restoration of people’s voice and the strengthening of our democracy. Making the government work for the people and not cartels. Electoral deceit must stop and the IEBC servers opened failure to which, we the people, will exercise our sovereignty and restore sanity in our nation.” Raila said they had moved across the nation and their supporters had promised to accompany them in mass rallies. The Azimio leaders maintained that they won the August polls just that IEBC cut in on their victory by manipulating the servers that relayed the presidential tallies.
“The service provider refused to allow us access to the servers. In the event the serve is opened, you will realise Ruto lost by more than two million votes,” said Raila. “Ruto got 5.9 million votes as we bagged 8.1 million votes,” he alleged.
Ms Karua regretted that the high cost of living under Ruto was pushing Kenyans to the edge and it was high time they acted to save themselves.
“I will not sit back as Kenyans suffer. As my party boss Raila has also pledged, I am ready to pay the ultimate price to make life better for Kenyans. What about you the people of Kakamega, if we call you for mass action would you attend?” she posed.
Kalonzo said steering the country was no child’s play and that Kenya Kwanza was not prepared for the challenge. “In our manifesto, we had planned to make education free from primary to secondary. Today the education sector is in a mess,” he said.
Wamalwa termed Kenya Kwanza a “selfish government” keen to reward only those who voted for it. “Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua have more than 55 per cent of government appointees in terms of Cabinet and principal secretaries yet Kenya belongs to all of us,” he said. “That is dividing and not uniting Kenyans.”
Kioni said that former president Uhuru Kenyatta “is supporting the Azimio team” and that they would not relent in keeping Kenya Kwanza in check. “The interesting thing is that those who voted for Kenya Kwanza, especially from my home area of Central Kenya, are suffering the most under the economic mess the alliance has created after promising them heaven. They have now shifted their hope to Raila to bring down the cost of living,” he said.
Raila adopted some Kakamega youth into his “Jeshi la Baba” formation, and tasked them with mobilising support for the planned mass action.
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