Kisii protesters engage police in cat and mouse game

It was a cat-and-mouse game in Kisii on Thursday with dozens of Azimio protesters momentarily spilling into the streets before anti-riot police scattered them.

Separate isolated protests took place in Keumbu in Nyaribari Chache.

Constituency ODM vice chair David Ontegi led dozens of bodaboda operators during the protest.

They rode around Keumbu township and Gianchere before police on patrol dispersed them

Ontegi was for the better part of the morning blocked by police from leaving his residence.

He only managed to slither out on a bodaboda to Keumbu where he led vowed anti-government demos.

One rider was arrested in the Eremo area.

Ontegi told journalists they welcome dialogue between President William Ruto and his party boss Raila Odinga to reduce the tension in the country.

"Ours are genuine concerns that must be addressed and I am optimistic they can engage each other and reach an amicable solution," said Ontegi

In downtown Kisii, some protesters dared the police stationed at the town's capital round.

They were however quickly repulsed.

They however pelted stones before it rained disrupting the protests.

ODM regional Kerosi Ondieki told journalists today, s protests, though small, marks the start of the bigger demonstrations planned for Monday.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg. We want to tell Ruto that we are going to be in the streets effectively from Monday to express our dissatisfaction with the way he is running the government," stated Kerosi.

The ODM official described the grievances by the Azimio as genuine.

At Gianchere, banana traders criticized Raila for orchestrating the chaos.

They said they were already counting on loses following the stand off.