Senator Wambua wants Azimio mass action sustained until goal achieved

Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua on Thursday supported the mass action declared by Azimio leader Raila Odinga.

He said Azimio should sustain the protest until the goal is achieved.

“I want to state this very clearly that as Azimio-One Kenya, whatever we are doing is within the dictates of the law and the Constitution. There is nothing we are doing that contradicts the law,” Wambua said.

“The issue of demonstration is provided for in the Constitution. Article 37 is very clear on what we can do and what we cannot do. We ask our supporters to stay put until we give them the way forward.” 

He said no one should threaten Kenyans with arrest or being shot for participating in peaceful demonstrations.

“This country and government belong to Kenyans and not Ruto [President]. So no one should threaten others with arrest or other sanctions. They hold government offices at our behest," the senator said.

“If we say we will visit government offices to deliver our petitions, we will do so. If we declare that we will occupy some government offices, we will do that.”

Senator Wambua was addressing the media at Endau AIC church in Kitui East where his own Kiio Wambua Foundation was holding a medical camp. Hundreds of residents benefited from the camp.

Raila on Thursday declared the start of mass action against the Kenya Kwanza regime, which he termed "illegitimate".

He said they have invoked the provisions of the Constitution to launch a massive peaceful movement of defiance against an illegal government. 

"Take note that on the 20th of March 2023, we have a date with destiny in Nairobi. 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. 

"We begin telling Ruto and Gachagua that we can’t keep living on false promises. 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 added. 

Azimio's 14-day ultimatum for the Kenya Kwanza government to lower the cost of living and open IEBC servers lapsed on Wednesday at midnight. 

Raila said even after the government was given time to act and act on the issues raised on February 22 at Jevanjee gardens, nothing has been done.

The ODM leader said the defiance campaign will take the shape of peaceful picketing, peaceful protests, boycotts, strikes, disobedience, peaceful petitions, peaceful sit-ins and peaceful demonstrations.

"We also urge the victims of retrogressive policies of this illegitimate regime, including workers, doctors, teachers, nurses, lecturers, students and the business community, to join this political revolution and movement for change. We are stronger together."

Raila said when Kenya Kwanza regime took office, it embarked on implementing measures whose effect has been to make the cost of basic commodities and services unaffordable to most Kenyans.

He cited 15 grounds which he said informed the need for the mass action, including the removal of subsidies on unga, electricity and fuel.

He said President William Ruto is also creating unnecessary and unconstitutional offices to reward his cronies.

"For this reason, Ruto must go," he said.

Other grounds are ethnicity, importation of GMOs, over taxation, attempt to single-handedly reconstitute the IEBC, division of the country along religious and sectarian lines and victimisation of the Cherera Four.

Raila said given the foregoing, Azimio has no other option than to unleash the people’s power through mass action dubbed ‘The Movement for Defence of Democracy’.

"We launch the MDD because Kenya Kwanza is illegitimate and therefore incapable of listening to the cries of the people. The people are now taking back all their delegated powers. It is now action time," he said.