Before Raila Odinga, the opposition leader led a protest march; security is high on highways near State House in Nairobi on Monday.
Armed police blocked roads and stopped and searched cars to prevent supporters of the Opposition leader from travelling to the seat of power.
The planned protest march was banned on Sunday by Nairobi Police Chief Adamson Bungei because the organizers did not comply with the legal requirements for holding a demonstration.
The protests scheduled for Monday, according to Bungei, violate the Public Order Act of 2021 and threaten the peace.
Did you read this?
The Azimio coalition and the Nairobi business community requested permission to demonstrate on the same day, according to Bungei, but they still need to be approved.
"We have received two inquiries, one from this morning and the other late yesterday. The two groups, one from Azimio la Umoja One Kenya and the other from the Nairobi business community", planned to hold nonviolent demonstrations. Yet he said they have yet to get approval for public safety reasons.
Nonetheless, Odinga pledged to continue the march and invited his followers to gather at KICC before he led them to State House to express their displeasure with the high cost of living and the alleged theft of his presidential victory.
"We don't like the way Ruto is governing our country, so we're determined to march to State House. I have enough proof that he did not triumph in the August 2022 election, " Odinga remarked.
Ruto dismissed Odinga's claims of recovering victory and stated that police are under strict orders to deal with protesters following the law.
"IEBC followed all legal procedures, and the elections have ended. According to him, Odinga must respect the Kenyan people and the country's institutions, such as the Supreme Court and the Electoral Commission. As a result, he added, "I am not going to tolerate his theatrics that he is used to bullying governments into accommodating him."
According to the Public Ordering Act of 2012, anyone planning to hold a public gathering or procession must notify the regulating official at least three days but by fourteen days before the event's intended date.
Bungie stated that neither of the two formations met the requirements to continue their planned protests and threatened severe repercussions should any appearances disobey the law.
Odinga Requests
Odinga has increased pressure on the Head of State to halt hiring new IEBC commissioners since he has refused to recognize William Ruto's president despite the Supreme Court upholding an election challenge he filed.
He has maintained that the four commissioners who disapproved of Ruto's victory were unfairly singled out and pressured into leaving.
Evidence produced at a trial revealed that Azimio and the faction headed by Juliana Cherera, vicechair of the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission at the time, conspired to "moderate" the election results to have Odinga declared the winner.
Cherera and commissioners Justus Nyang'aya and Francis Wanderi both submitted their resignations. A tribunal was formed to investigate the actions of the four, and it recommended firing Commissioner Irene Masit.
In contrast, after their six-year tenure, IEBC Chair Wafula Chebukati and Commissioners Yakub Guliye and Boya Molu retired.
