Anxiety as Kenya govt, opposition harden stance over protests
Kenya's President William Ruto (left) who has dismissed protests led by Azimio leader Raila Odinga (right) as part of an alleged ploy by opposition leaders to blackmail him into a power-sharing deal. PHOTOS | TONNY OMONDI | NMG & SIMON MAINA | AFP
Kenya’s opposition, buoyed by its relative success shutting down Nairobi on Monday, has called its supporters out for another round of demonstrations this coming week, escalating a political standoff that poses considerable risks to the country’s economy and national security.
Former prime minister Raila Odinga, who leads the opposition Azimio One Kenya Alliance Party, announced on Tuesday that the mass protests are meant to put pressure on the government to reduce the cost of living, halt a contested process of reconstituting the electoral commission and to get a nod to an independent audit of last year’s presidential election results.
