Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition leader Raila Odinga has called on Kenyans from all walks of life to be ready for countrywide protests over the cost of living when he blows a trumpet.
Raila says Kenyans the Kenya Kwanza administration had given millions of Kenyans a deaf ear on the myriad of issues they are raising with regard to the high cost of living and instead was hellbent on imposing an unbearable tax regime on them.
He said Kenyans should brace for hard times ahead if Parliament passes the controversial Finance Bill 2023, which he says will inflict more pain on Kenyans if implemented as is.
Raila says, the Kenya Kwanza leadership had refused to listen to the cries of hustlers, mama mboga, boda boda riders, and other Kenyans who can barely afford two meals a day and are insisting on imposing more taxes on the already suffering populace.
Speaking at Chungwa House Wednesday when he met members of the Gusii Community living in Nairobi, the ODM leader said just eight months into the Kenya Kwanza administration, Kenyans had suffered more than ever before under the past regimes and that they are now tired.
“Kenyans are hurting. They are suffering. They came to power through the backdoor when they were not ready to govern and now want to pour their inefficiency on poor Kenyans,” Raila said.
He said he will tomorrow address the nation on the controversial Finance Bill 2023, together with his colleagues in the Azimio La Umoja Coalition, and give Kenyans the way forward.
“They want to table the controversial bill in parliament tomorrow for the second reading and then have the Treasury CS present the budget statement on Thursday next week. They are determined to have it passed, but Kenyans will resist,” the ODM leader said.
He said he will blow the trumpet and urged Kenyans to turn out in their numbers to fight for their rights. The delegation was led by the Majority Whip in the County Assembly of Nairobi Moses Ogeto and Jackson Ontegi, the Community leader in Nairobi.