Raila, Azimio bigwigs missing in action as protests rage

Azimio Leader Raila Odinga and top Azimio bigwigs are missing in action as police battle protesters across the country.

Narc Kenya boss Martha Karua and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka are also among Azimio principals whose whereabouts are not known.

Inquiries to most of the MPs, who would ordinarily know the Orange Democratic Movement(ODM) boss' itinerary, turned negative with most of them groping in the dark.

This is the first time in Raila's wave of protests against the Kenya Kwanza administration in which he has hibernated completely.

During past demonstrations, Raila would lead protesters with his motorcade, braving teargas and water canons.

In instances where he failed to show up at the protests, he would emerge later in the day for a press briefing with his allies.

This was not the case on Wednesday amid unconfirmed reports that he lost contact with most of his close aides on Wednesday night.

This is as police arrested a number of Raila's key aides on Wednesday as the opposition started mass protests across the country.

Raila's spokesperson Dennis Onyango was arrested, according to ODM director of communications Philip Etale.

He became the second of Raila's aides to be arrested after the former Prime Minister's bodyguard Maurice Ogeta.

Ogeta was taken in by plain cloth officers while he drove to work on Wednesday morning before they drove him to an unknown destination.

His whereabouts remain unknown.

Raila had called for three days of mass protests across the country until Friday. 

The protests were called by the opposition to protest the recently enacted Finance Act, 2023.

At a press conference convened by Azimio on Tuesday at his Jaramogi Oginga Foundation (JOOF), Raila was absent.

During the briefing led by Karua and Kalonzo, the leaders asked their supporters to get into the streets to show their displeasure with Ruto's leadership.

During last week's protests, Raila forced his way into the Central Business District of the Capital City before driving to SKM centre where he addressed the press.

He claimed that there was an attempt on his life.

"In Nairobi, there was an attempt to assassinate me," Raila said during the Saba Saba protests.

"Just like the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. or the detention of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi did not stop the march for civil rights and freedom in the US, South Africa and India, no amount of shooting, teargas or even assassination will stop the march of history in this country."