Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale referred to Raila Odinga's demand for widespread protests against President William Ruto's administration as a "blackmail" ploy. Raila is the leader of Azimio La Umoja.
Odinga has recently travelled nationwide to mobilize people against the Kenya Kwanza administration over the high cost of living and alleged election manipulation in 2022.
He claims that Ruto's government should step down because it is unconstitutional. His nationwide tour will come to a head on March 20 with a massive demonstration in the nation's capital.
Khalwale believes Odinga is only using threats to pressure the Kenya Kwanza administration into agreeing to a political truce similar to the one he struck on March 9 with former president Uhuru Kenyatta.
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"This is not the first time Raila is extorting election victors; Raila extorted Uhuru and got a 'handshake,' a portion of the government, projects, and money which he took to his community," the senator said in a Thursday morning interview with Citizen TV.
Invoking Odinga's connections to former leaders Daniel Moi and Mwai Kibaki, Khalwale remarked: "He blackmailed Moi and as head of the opposition, he became minister of energy. He blackmailed Kibaki and pushed his way into government through the infamous 'nusu mkate'."
"This is his style, so it goes without saying that a lot of us concur with the president that enough is enough."
He also mentioned Odinga's sham inauguration as the people's president in 2018 after falling short of Uhuru.
Khalwale claimed the former prime minister has a "megalomaniac notion that he is above the law," He might not get away with it if he follows the same course as in 2018.
On Wednesday, President Ruto warned Odinga against organizing rallies that he said would cause the loss of life and property or the cessation of all corporate activity in the nation.
No, you can't. It's enough already. You cannot keep extorting the nation. We have no issue with you organizing protests. Still, we ask that you cooperate with the police to prevent the disruption of lives, destruction of property, and disruption of businesses for the rest of Kenya's inhabitants. He replied that they were free to go to work and may continue their protests.
In the interim, Odinga has claimed that the protests are being held for Kenyans' welfare rather than individual interests.
