Raila's Azimio plots to storm Nairobi city centre on day 3 of protests

Jeevanjee Gardens

A few police officers have been deployed to man Jeevanjee Gardens.

Photo credit: Ndubi Moturi | Nation Media Group

Azimio leader Raila Odinga has called on his supporters to assemble at the Central Business District (CBD) on Friday, the final day of its protests.

The ODM party used social media to urge its supporters to assemble at Jevanjee Gardens in the city centre, Imara Daima Grounds (Embakasi South) and Kibra Kamukunji Grounds (Kibra Constituency) from 10am.

However, by 11:30am, there was little action around Jeevanjee Gardens.

Police have also in the past managed to keep demonstrators away from the city centre.

The latest demonstrations are against tax hikes and follow two earlier waves of protests this year against the rising cost of living and alleged irregularities in last year's presidential election, which Mr Odinga lost.

On Thursday, the country was calm amid a heavy police presence after several people were reported shot dead in clashes between security forces and demonstrators a day earlier.

Some fatally

At least 300 people were arrested, including several senior opposition leaders and more were shot, some fatally, in clashes with police on Wednesday.

The demonstrations, planned for Wednesday to Friday, are the third round of protests called by the opposition this month.

"The voice of the people must be heard. Our peaceful protest will continue," Odinga wrote on Twitter.

President William Ruto, meanwhile, has vowed that there will be no protests, saying he will take Odinga "head on".

Apart from minor skirmishes in some parts of the country on Thursday, most residents went about their daily business as usual.

Many shops in the capital's central business district reopened and traffic on major roads picked up later in the day.

Closed on Wednesday

Some schools in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu also reopened after being closed on Wednesday.

Speaking to nation.africa, Mr Odinga said he had been out of the public limelight while recovering from a severe bout of flu and said the protests were about citizens, not about him or his fellow opposition leaders.

Asked why his co-leaders, including Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua and Wiper's Kalonzo Musyoka, were not leading the demonstrations as usual, Mr Odinga insisted that the protests were for all Kenyans and that they did not need to attend.

"The demonstrations are for all Kenyans," he said.