- Kidero said Raila and Karua are misleading Kenyans by making declarations about 'public holidays'.
- Raila said the declaration was aimed at providing a chance for Azimio supporters to travel to participate in the mass action calls.
Image: FILE
Former Nairobi governor Evans Kidero has called out Azimio leader Raila Odinga for announcing a 'public holiday' that does not abide by the law.
Kidero said Raila Odinga and Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua have gone astray for misleading Kenyans after declaring a 'public holiday' on the day of their planned demonstrations noting they do not have the constitutional power to do so.
“I do not understand how somebody who has been a Minister for Constitutional Affairs and Raila who is well known for abiding and being the architect of various laws and the constitution can deliberately tell people that there is going to be a 'public holiday' without following the laws,” Kidero said on K24 on Wednesday.
He said such declarations by the opposition are misguided and do not consider the high number of Kenyans who will be unable to fend for themselves on the day.
“We have over 20 million Kenyans in the job market. The government employs only 900,000 and the private sector employs a balance of 2.1 million. The remaining 17 million fend for themselves through jua kali, hustling business,” he said.
“Nobody has taken into account what these 17 million people will do on that day to feed themselves.”
Kidero said Kenyans who have been urged to engage in mass action by the opposition party are the ones who end up on the losing side more.
“When there are protests, the people who suffer are these same people that the Azimio team claims to be representing,” Kidero said.
Speaking in Siaya on Tuesday, Azimio leader Raila Odinga declared March 20 a 'public holiday'.
Raila said the declaration was aimed at providing a chance for Azimio supporters to travel to participate in the mass action against what he termed as an illegitimate government.
"I hereby now declare today in the name of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance Coalition that Monday the 20th of March will be a public holiday," Raila said.
However, the announcement by Raila does not hold water under the law.
The law vests the power to declare public holidays in the cabinet secretary in charge of the Interior Ministry.
"The minister may at any time if he thinks fit, by notice in the Gazette, declare any day to be a public holiday either in addition to the days mentioned in the Schedule or in substitution for any of those days," Section 3 of the Public Holidays Act states.