Former Nakuru county assembly speaker, Joel Kairu and Nakuru ODM chairperson Bernard Miruka were arrested as they led the Azimio peaceful protests in Nakuru on Monday.
The two were chucked onto a police vehicle and driven to the nearby Nakuru central police station while protesters dispersed. Only about 30 people turned up for the protest.
The protesters had walked almost a kilometre along Kenyatta Avenue in the CBD when they were intercepted by armed police officers at the Posta junction.
The protesters who were also chanting anti-government slogans put up a brave show even as on-lookers and the business community shouted them down.
Some people were heard telling the protesters to board public service vehicles and go to Nairobi to join the main protest.
Speaking before commencing the walk, Kairu said they wanted to submit a petition to the Rift Valley regional commissioner Abdi Hassan.
“This protest is peaceful, the team simply wants to walk to the regional commissioner to hand over our petition which he (the commissioner) should forward to President William Ruto,” he said.
He said Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Alliance supporters would continue pushing for a lower cost of living and a better economy.
On Sunday, different church leaders in Nakuru insisted that March 20 will be a normal working day and urged their members to ignore Raila's declaration.
Bishop Geoffrey Buliba of the Christian Brotherhood Church warned his members against joining the protest saying that they would be risking their lives.
He wondered why Raila was resorting to street demonstrations to protest against Ruto’s Presidency yet the IEBC and The Supreme Court had declared themselves on the matter.
“He has exhausted all the available channels of challenging the 2022 Presidential elections and it is wrong to now incite the masses to protest,” he said.
