The cost of continued civil disobedience

But does the alternative cut it?

By Silas Apollo 

The decision by Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance leader Raila Odinga to resume the nationwide protests against the government could present a new challenge to President William Ruto, who, over the past couple of weeks, has been facing increasing pressure to cave into the demands of the opposition coalition.

Odinga, through the Azimio National Executive Council chairman Wycliffe Oparanya, has announced that the coalition will, starting this month, resume its countrywide protest in what he says is a move aimed at piling additional pressure on the Kenya Kwanza administration.

The Orange party leader argues that the latest protests are a continuation of the demonstrations that the opposition coalition has been holding nationwide to call and demand reforms and electoral justice from the government.

Part of the strategy of the coalition is to, among other things, push the government to initiate policies that will reduce the high cost of living and reinstatement of the four commissioners sacked from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. 

The coalition has also called for an audit of the election servers at the IEBC, the reconstitution of the electoral agency, and an end to the poaching of Azimio MPs by the government.

Odinga has also presented new and additional demands to the government, including expanding the bi-partisan team formed to address concerns raised by Azimio, including other leaders outside Parliament, and the exclusion of Azimio-affiliated MPs from the Kenya Kwanza negotiation team.

In calling for the expansion of the bi-partisan team, the coalition argues that a Parliamentary process, as suggested by Dr. Ruto, limits the scope of discussion only to Parliament and excludes voices outside the institution which is a majority of Kenyans.

But even as the Azimio team presses on with its new list of demands, the government has insisted that negotiations and talks will only be done through already established institutions such as Parliament.

We resolved that Kenya Kwanza must take immediate steps to lower the cost of fuel and put a freeze on the recent increase in the cost of electricity. These are not matters for a committee.

As part of a build-up exercise towards the nationwide protest, Odinga has announced plans to lead his allies and supporters to a peaceful march ahead of the resumption of the countrywide demonstration.

A resumption of the countrywide protests, which have in the past been blamed for loss of lives and the destruction of properties, could mean that businesses and other activities across major towns, including Nairobi, may be disrupted for another time.

The coalition was last month blamed for disrupting businesses and activities in major towns across the country, including in Nairobi, as leaders and supporters of Odinga engaged police in running battles during the demonstrations.

The protests were also linked to the loss of lives, including that of a police officer, the injury of protestors, including journalists, and the destruction of properties like the invasion of former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Northlands farm.

While calling on Odinga to halt the demonstration last month and embrace dialogue, Ruto argued that the protest had led to heavy business losses and disruption of critical services in various parts of the country.

Statistics from the government have also estimated that businesses lost at least Sh2 billion a day during the demonstrations held by the opposition last month. 

The resumption of the protests could also mean a reversal of some of the gains made by Ruto’s administration in boosting local businesses and restoring investor confidence over the last couple of months amidst a depressed economy.

In his latest onslaught against the government, Odinga is banking on what he believes are legitimate grievances against Ruto’s administration, which he has accused of dishonesty in the negotiation.

The opposition chief has argued that by limiting the talks only to Parliament, the talks risk failing to address all concerns that have been raised by Azimio, including the opening and auditing of the election servers and addressing the skyrocketing cost of living.

But the President and his team have insisted that talks with Azimio will only be limited to issues such as the reconstitution of IEBC and the appointment of commissioners. 

Dr Ruto has also argued that other issues raised by the opposition, such as the outcome of last year’s presidential election and the auditing of the election servers, had been addressed by other institutions like the Supreme Court, which ruled on the matter last year. 

The Head of State has further argued that his administration was also addressing concerns over the high cost of living and the heavy taxation of businesses.

And to help push his agenda against the government, Odinga is banking on the support of his legion of followers who, for a better part of the last two months, were part of his protests against Ruto.

In his latest onslaught, the opposition chief has also roped in support of Kenyans aggrieved by the government’s actions, like the high cost of basic commodities and appointments, and that of the 50 chief administrative secretaries, among others. 

The veteran politician has also included human rights activists, faith-based organisations, student bodies, trade unions, farmers’ associations, small businesses, and civil society in his latest plans.

The demands by the opposition also come hot on the heels of a fresh push by former President Uhuru Kenyatta to regain control of the Jubilee party and stamp his authority, a move some pundits have argued could add new impetus to the opposition movement.

Kenyatta, early last week, led a group of Jubilee party officials, including the embattled secretary-general Jeremiah Kioni in demanding the expulsion of rebel leaders who had since decamped to the Kenya Kwanza administration. 

And in calling for the protests, the Azimio coalition has insisted that the demonstrations are an extension of their opposition towards what they believe is a government whose policies have been skewed towards common citizens.

While announcing plans for the resumption of the protests, Odinga said that issues raised by the opposition, such as the high cost of living, are urgent and require immediate attention from the government and cannot wait until a bipartisan committee is established for them to be looked into.

“We resolved that the regime must take immediate steps to bring back the cost of unga to Sh100 as of the time of the election. We further resolved that Kenya Kwanza must take immediate steps to lower the cost of fuel and put a freeze on the recent increase in the cost of electricity. These are not matters for a committee,” Odinga said last month.

Odinga’s running mate in last year’s presidential election, Martha Karua, has also maintained that the planned talks should be on neutral ground and should not be restricted to parliament.

“A purely parliamentary process may not serve the intended ends. Our suggestion is to have a conversation at the national level through a process akin to the 2008 National Accord,” Karua said.

The Azimio coalition, according to Odinga, has proposed that a team be drawn from its ranks both in Parliament and outside Parliament to the committee to be established. (