Former Prime Minster Raila Odinga has claimed that the Ge Zs hijacked commemoration of the historic day. Photo: Raila Odinga X.
ODM party leader Raila Odinga has claimed that the Gen Z led protests across the country hijacked the commemoration of the historic Saba Saba on July 7 with protests across the country.
According to Odinga, his plan to attend and mark the day as one of the pioneers of the historic day in the country at the historic Kamkunji Grounds in Embakasi East Constituency was thwarted by the spontaneous protests across various parts of the city, with police barricades everywhere, making it difficult to access Kamkunji Grounds.
“It was pure commemorating Saba Saba, I was going to Kamkunji to commemorate Saba Saba, as it is about Kamkunji, and not general protests country wide. Unfortunately, other people took it differently and it turned out to be uncontrollable, I was not able to go to Kamkunji because the streets were closed by the government,” Raila said..
He explained that Saba Saba is meant for the country to appreciate the fight of to allow multi-party state, contradicting his earlier remarks of the citizens embracing civil disobedience.
“Saba Saba is about going to Kamkunji as the people of Kenya to mark the country’s readiness for multi-party. It is specific and not scattered as people picket about issues in the country and not every where. It was to be at Kamkunji, where the police were, not destroying people’s businesses,” he further stated.
Gen Zs in the country had said they will come out for Saba Saba with specified places highlighted, including Nairobi CBD over poor leadership and governance, rampant corruption, increase in extra-judicial killings and calling an end to police brutality, enforced disappearances and abductions of young people criticising Kenya Kwanza government.
Odinga said faulted taking the protests to CBD, as it disrupted activities to CBD, stating the reason they chose Kamkunji to mark the day, and picket on a specific agenda.
“Going to CBD will disrupt business, we went to Kamkunji with Kennedy Matiba and Charles Rubia, we said we are going to Kamkunji Grounds. We were very specific, there is nothing different. If you want to do demonstrations, we do not want people to be affected. we are going to make a point so that the government listens to what we are going to say,” he further clarified.
Saba Saba protests so more than 31 Kenyans losing their lives, 107 injured and over 500 protesters arrested across the country, according to Kenya National Commission of Human Rights (KNCHR).
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