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Raila unwanted in Murang’a: Security committee declares ahead of Azimo meeting
Opposition leader Raila Odinga addressing his supporters at Nairobi's Pipeline Estate on March 30, 2023.
Murang'a County Security committee on Wednesday evening declared Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga and his political associates as unwanted in the region.
Mr Odinga had on Tuesday been announced as the guest of honour at an anti-government meeting in Murang'a town.
"We have already notified Murang'a police of our intention to host Mr Odinga, his deputy Ms Martha Karua, Kalonzo Musyoka and others on Thursday. We want to interact with our people regarding grave governance matters working against citizens," former Murang’a Governor Mwangi Wa Iria said on Tuesday.
But on Wednesday evening, Murang'a County police Commander Mathiu Kainga said the security committee had outlawed the meeting.
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“The organisers of the meetings did not meet the Public Order dictates where notice should have been given four days in advance. They gave us two days' notice," he said.
To that effect, Mr Kainga said "unless the said persons will be visiting Murang'a as normal Kenyans with no intentions to honour the contents of their notice, they remain unwelcome and will not be allowed to engage in public gatherings".
Mr Kainga said, "it is the law that is refusing their intentions and not him or any other member of the security team".
But Mr Wa Iria hit back at the security committee accusing it of playing funny business with democracy, promising a tension-packing day if it will not back down.
"They told us that they will not be having enough police officers to attend our rallies. They said most officers are already engaged elsewhere. The question is: who told them that we were inviting them to attend to our rallies?" he posed.
Mr Wa Iria wondered why the police would want to attend Azimio rallies "when they do not invite us to attend their security meetings".
The law, however, demands that all wishing to gather in public rallies notify the area officer commanding police station so that security can be organised, if the gathering is permitted to go on.
Mr Kainga said "contravention to the declared position of outlawing the rallies will be countered by the law".
On his part, Mr Wa Iria warned of "crowd trouble if they dare prevent us from gathering" hence sending the town into panic mode on what to expect.
Mr Wa Iria said "police do not have any input in deciding whether we will meet or not since it is like worshipers going to church. Do police play any role in deciding whether people will congregate to worship? We are politicians".
He maintained that the organised meetings are noble, important and peaceful.
"We are coming to engage the people on issues to do with electoral justice for the country to heal, equity in government representation, economy and wealth creation," he said.
He insisted that plans to host Mr Odinga in Mother's Union Hall and later address the public on the streets remain in place.
"We will be meeting with our supporters who feel left out in the order of things... those who are not Kenya Kwanza Alliance shareholders. Those who feel they are not part of waiting for government dividends," he said.
He said deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has since said the government is there to first serve it's shareholders as others wait outside the kitchen.
“Gachagua said non-shareholders would only get leftovers. That is why we have organized a meeting for non-shareholders...The Gachagua's company was elected by 7 million people, similar to those who elected Mr Odinga. Some other 8 million people did not vote and it means non shareholders are the majority," he said.
Mr Wa Iria said "we will meet to chart our own cause of surviving being not part of the company that is government and possibility of us investing in a company of our own".
He defined the Thursday meeting agenda to be a platform for those who feel that the August 9 General Election servers should be audited, those reeling in high taxation and those who feel the government is lying about the economy.
Mr Wa Iria who served two terms as Murang'a governor (2013-2022) had in the August 9 General Election expressed interest to vie for the Presidency but was disqualified by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
He later affiliated himself in the Mr Odinga presidency where he coined a political slogan of Baba (Mr Odinga), mother (running mate Martha Karua) and him as the son.
After Murang'a joined the rest of the Mt Kenya region to reject Mr Odinga’s bid and voted for President William Ruto, the former governor went underground only to emerge in February to declare himself the Murang'a kingpin.
