Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition party leader Raila Odinga has issued an apology for the chaos that erupted during the Azimio meeting held in Nairobi.
The disturbance, which took place at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation, saw youths storm the venue, causing significant disruption and endangering attendees.
Raila expressed deep regret over the incident, extending unreserved apologies to journalists and leaders who were caught up in the fracas. He acknowledged the severity of the security breach and assured that the coalition would evaluate the events to prevent future occurrences.
“The Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation (JOOF), the venue of yesterday’s meeting, has successfully hosted important events at more defining moments in the country, without any such ugly incidents,” Raila noted, highlighting the unexpected nature of the disruption. Despite some of the intruders being identified, many remain unknown to the parties involved.
The chaos significantly impacted the planned Azimio post-Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting address, notably disrupting Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka’s speech and forcefully ejecting attendees and journalists from the premises. The briefing had to be suspended, although a subsequent statement was issued outlining key resolutions from the PG meeting.
One prominent resolution was Azimio’s firm stance against joining the proposed broad-based government suggested by President William Ruto following the nationwide demonstrations.
Additionally, Azimio demanded the immediate apprehension of rogue police officers implicated in the maiming, deaths, and kidnappings of peaceful protesters since the start of the Finance Bill demonstrations on June 18, 2024.
The joint PG/NEC meeting also endorsed a call by the party’s Central Committee for a national conversation aimed at bringing people together. It emphasized the need for certain preconditions to be met prior to the national convention to create a conducive environment for dialogue.
These preconditions include compensation for victims of police brutality and abduction, as well as prioritizing policy proposals on longstanding issues such as corruption, negative ethnicity, unemployment, and social justice.
Raila Odinga addressed the ongoing political turmoil, stating, “Ruto goes and then what? Ruto may go then Gachagua takes over implementing bad policies, Ruto can also say I am tired, let the military generals take over. Then the country begins to go through what Egypt went through after Tahrir Square. ‘Ruto must go’ cannot be an end. It’s at times of crisis like this that a country needs to talk. We are not doing it to save Ruto; we are doing it to save Kenya.”
