Raila, Azimio Bigwigs Missing in Action as Protests Rage
As police confront protesters across the country, Azimio Leader Raila Odinga and other top Azimio bigwigs are nowhere to be found.
Even MPs who are usually aware of Raila's itinerary are in the dark about his whereabouts. This is the first time Mr Odinga has completely disappeared during his protests against the Kenya Kwanza administration. In the past, he would lead protesters through tear gas and water canons or, if he didn't show up, appear later in the day for a press briefing.
However, on Wednesday, amid unconfirmed reports that he lost contact with most of his close aides, Mr Odinga was nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, police have arrested two of Raila's key aides including his spokesperson Dennis Onyango and his bodyguard Maurice Ogeta.
On Wednesday morning, plain cloth officers arrested Raila's bodyguard Maurice Ogeta while he was driving to work and drove him to an unknown location. His whereabouts remain unknown. The former Prime Minister had called for three days of protests across the country to oppose the recently enacted Finance Act 2023. At a press conference led by Martha Karua and Kalonzo Musyoka on Tuesday, the opposition leaders roused their supporters to intensify the pushback against Ruto's leadership.
The Narc Kenya leader conveyed that Raila was handling another critical engagement and hence could not join the press briefing. In a joint statement, European ambassadors and High Commissioners urged the government and the opposition to pursue dialogue to mend the prevailing political tension. During the Saba Saba protests last week, Raila managed to force his way into the Central Business District. He later announced that there was an attempt on his life.
"Just like the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. or the detention of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi did not stop the march for civil rights and freedom in the US, South Africa and India, no amount of shooting, teargas or even assassination will stop the march of history in this country," Raila said.