Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot has scorned Raila Odinga's delayed onset of the mass action against the government saying he is buying time to pressure President William Ruto into giving in to his demands.
His remarks follow Raila's official call for civil disobedience on Thursday purportedly to kick out an 'illegitimate' Ruto administration over its failure to lower the cost of living.
Raila said the defiance protests, disobedience, sit-ins and demonstrations dubbed Movement for Defence of Democracy will officially start on March 20.
"On that day our supporters throughout the country shall stage a massive procession in Nairobi for a legitimate and inclusive government. Save the date," Raila said.
But Senator Cheruiyot opined that the delay of the onset of the civil disobedience was a ploy by Raila to buy himself more time to try and pressure the President into giving in to his demands.
"Basically, RAO is telling his supporters to give him one more week to try and threaten WSR into opening the feeding trough for him as Uhuru did," Cheruiyot said in a social media post.
"I have sad news for him, the current one takes no prisoners, suffers no fools gladly and can never buy fear. Change tact please," he said.
Raila's 14-day ultimatum for Ruto and his administration to among other things, lower the cost of living by reinstating subsidies on food and fuel or face mass action lapsed at midnight on Wednesday.
It was highly anticipated that he would on Thursday order his supporters to the streets as he promised on February 24 while issuing the 14-day ultimatum.
But even as Raila said the Opposition has run out of patience with "an illegitimate regime and can’t keep living on false promises," he delayed the onset of the protests by at least ten days.
"We begin telling Ruto and Gachagua our clear understanding that when we keep taking painkillers long enough, they will cease killing the pain; and that is when the real pain will begin," he said.
Raila rallied Azimio supporters to converge in Nairobi on March 20 ready to begin the mass protests.
"We recognize that only through hardship and sacrifice can our cries be heard and acted on. We will be with you to the bitter end," he said.
