Azimio leader Raila Odinga has condemned the Kenya Kwanza administration for using the police to unleash terror on innocent civilians to score political mileage.
Raila says, it is against the Constitution for the state to use the police to kill and maim people holding peaceful demonstrations against the shortcomings of the regime in power.
Speaking in Emali in Makueni County during the funeral of an 18-year-old who was allegedly shot dead at their rental home in Emali township on the 12th of July 2023, Raila accused the police of using excessive force on the people.
“Whereas article 37 of the constitution provides for the right to picket, demonstrate and present petitions to authorities, the blood thirst Kenya Kwanza administration is busy using violence on peaceful protesters leading to unnecessary death and injuries,” he said.
The Azimio leader called on the Kalonzo Musyoka and Kimani Ichung’wa led dialogue team to get down on serious business and address a myriad of issues that have been raised by the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party if Kenya was to head in the right direction.
“We want the high cost of living to be addressed so that Kenyans can afford basic commodities. We want a special independent audit of the IEBC election results to put to rest the issue of who validly won the August 9, 2022 general election,” he said.
Raila said the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission should be all inclusive and that all stakeholders should be involved.
“Police brutality and unnecessary violence meted on peaceful demonstrators by men and women in uniform should be addressed and the state stopped from using the police to kill, main and harass protectors,” he said.
The ODM party leader reiterated his earlier assertion that Azimio Coalition is only interested in people’s issues being discussed and addressed and not power sharing agreement.
Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka accused the Kenya Kwanza leadership of perpetuating violence on innocent people adding that the innocent lives lost in the hands of police will not go unpunished by God.
Kalonzo said he and members of his team in the dialogue committee will push for the Azimio agenda which he said represents the people of Kenya.
“We have an enormous responsibility to fix the problem and the time to do it is now. We have the platform to have the issues Kenyans have been raising addressed once and for all,” he said.
The deceased was expected to join Kenyatta University next month after a good performance in the KCSE examination last year.