Azimio leader Raila Odinga has declared that the coalition will restart anti-government protests after the Ramadan period. During a speech to his supporters at Ufangamano House, Raila stated that Azimio had not yet agreed to participate in negotiations and that the government could not force them to do so. While the coalition is supportive of the ongoing talks, they will also engage in demonstrations as dialogue progresses.
Raila asked the Ufungamano crowd if they agreed that mass action and negotiations should occur simultaneously. He pledged to announce the return of nationwide mass action right after Ramadan, stating that protests and negotiations would go hand in hand.
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Azimio leader Raila Odinga says nationwide protests to continue along bi-partisan talks, set to announce new picketing date after Ramadhan pic.twitter.com/9EH6ua8G2W
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) April 13, 2023
The decision to resume mass action was prompted by President William Ruto's lack of seriousness in addressing opposition grievances.
Civil society member Suba Churchill expressed the hope that mass action would resume immediately after Ramadan. He cited signs of the Kenya Kwanzaregime's lack of seriousness in an inclusive and credible national dialogue process, which had led people to call on Azimio's leadership to resume maandamano.
Azimio also stated that bipartisan talks, known as National Dialogue, would begin quickly and be completed within thirty days without undue delay. However, pro-government leaders challenged Azimio to continue protesting, stating that they would not be coerced into complying with opposition demands.
