Opposition leader Raila Odinga has criticized Kisumu County Administration for calling off protests in the county.
While speaking during a meeting with some members of the catholic clergy, Raila Odinga maintained that anti-government protests will continue as planned in Kisumu.
He further asked Kisumu County governor Anyang Nyong’o to retract his announcements calling off the anti-government protests in the lakeside city.
Odinga’s sentiments came after Governor Anyang Nyong’o issued a circular on Wednesday, March 29 suspending any form of demonstrations in Kisumu and instead asked supporters to converge in Nairobi.
Also Read: Kisumu Residents Vow to Defy Nyong’o Demo Ban
“There was an announcement today by the governor of Kisumu about the demonstrations in Kisumu. We have talked to him, and he asked us to announce that they will be demonstration in the county tomorrow just like the rest of the country,” Raila said.
Moreover, Mr. Odinga affirmed that the demonstrations will be peaceful. He also warned those planning to cause chaos to desist from such behavior.
“Our demonstrations will be peaceful, and we are asking those who are trying to disrupt them to desist in the name of our Lord,” Odinga said.
Nonetheless, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and his Kisumu County counterpart Nyong’o engaged in a war of words after governor Nyongo suspended demonstrations in the lakeside city and instead asked supporters to converge in Nairobi.
The Nairobi governor dismissed Nyong’o, adding that he will not allow him to export demos from Kisumu to the capital city.
Governor Nyong’o. Kindly Return to Sender. pic.twitter.com/VLbxY4MJQn
— Sakaja Arthur Johnson (@SakajaJohnson) March 29, 2023
“The Governor of Kisumu’s idea that he can export his demonstrations to Nairobi and make our county the capital of demonstrators and associated mayhem is preposterous and totally unacceptable,” Sakaja stated.
Also Read: Governor Nyong’o Suspends Anti-Gov’t Protests in Kisumu
Nonetheless, Governor Nyong’o said that his decision to ban the protests came after consultations between the Azimio La Umoja Leadership and the County Executive Committee.
However, the lakeside city governor maintained the county’s commitment to push for the lowering of the cost of living and preventing government from handpicking a partisan Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
