Inside Raila's demonstrations over the years

Azimio leader Raila Odinga's latest anti-government demonstrations have lifted the lid on his decades-long protests against governments.

The veteran opposition leader, seen as the surviving father of modern democracy and the 2010 Constitution, has over the years launched mass action against governments.

The opposition leader's calls for mass action dates back to 1997 when he mounted a massive resistance against the then President Daniel Moi.

Then Raila called for protests among Kenyans to forced Moi to accept minimum electoral and legal reforms ahead of the 1997 polls.

The reforms were part of a package worked out by the Inter-Parties Parliamentary Group (IPPG), which included parliamentarians from Moi's ruling KANU and the opposition.

Raila would later strike a post election deal with Moi after losing the polls, a move that quelled violence that has rocked his strongholds.

In 1998, Raila formed a political alliance with former President Daniel Moi after merging his National Development Party (NDP) with Kanu to form the New Kanu party.

In June 2001, he was appointed Minister of Energy and later Secretary-General of New Kanu.

However, the friendship between Raila and Moi ended a few months before the 2002 general election, after Moi announced former President Uhuru Kenyatta as Kanu’s presidential candidate.

In 2005, Raila led a campaign against the Constitution, and his faction emerged victorious against President Kibaki’s government.

Later  Kibaki would fire him and other ministers who opposed the 2005 Constitution.

In the 2007 polls, Raila called for mass action after the disputed presidential election in which Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner.

The post-election violence saw Raila strike a deal with Kibaki under the national accord negotiated by the international community.

Rail would then be appointed the Prime Minister under the Grand Coalition Government. 

Fast forward, after the 2013 polls, Raila disputed the outcome and unsuccessfully challenged Uhuru Kenyatta's win at the Supreme Court.

Then running under the Cord coalition, Raila called for protests saying his victory had been stolen.

In 2016, Raila called for mass action to push for electoral reforms at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

Raila, then leader of the Cord coalition, was pushing for a radical surgery at the IEBC ahead of the 2017 polls.

Raila had claimed that Jubilee did not win the 2013 presidential election, saying it was a conspiracy hatched by elements in the IEBC, the Supreme Court and security agencies.

The veteran opposition leader had unsuccessfully challenged Uhuru Kenyatta's 2013 election win through the courts.

Raila and his co-principals for days lead marches to 'occupy' the headquarters of the IEBC in Nairobi.

Raila, Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper Democratic Movement) and Moses Wetang’ula (Ford- Kenya) triggered major protests across the country.

The anti-IEBC protests led to a parliamentary initiative that agreed on amendments to electoral laws before the 2017 elections.

The compromise deal saw the former IEBC commissioners led by Issack Hassan exit office and paved the way for the Wafula Chebukati team.

Immediately after the 2017 polls, Raila moved to the supreme court to challenge his lose to Uhuru for the second time and succeeded.

Raila, who had vied on the Nasa ticket with Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka as his running mate, claimed that he had been robbed of his victory by a compromised IEBC.

He however, called on his supporters to boycott the repeat poll ordered by the apex court as violence rocked parts of the country.

His supporters continued with demonstrations until March 2018 when he reached a political truce with Uhuru in what would later be known as the Handshake.

Raila's long political journey has been replete with calls for mass action even as he pushes against President William Ruto's administration.