Odinga issues fresh demands to Ruto

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition consultative forum at Kamukunji Grounds in Nairobi has made 12 key resolutions it wants President William Ruto’s administration to address.

The demands include reducing cost of basic commodities particularly by restoring subsidies to unga, fuel, school fees and electricity.

The forum presided over by Azimio principals Raila Odinga, Martha Karua and  Kalonzo Musyoka resolved that failure by the administration to reduce the cost of basic commodities by January 2023, “Kenyans will be free to take such steps as they may deem fit to ease the burden of the yoke upon their shoulders.

“Ruto needs to understand that while his fortunes may have changed for the better, for a majority of parents if not all, the economic situation has become worse or remained the same,” reads part of the resolutions read by National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi.

  He added: “We have resolved that the Ruto regime be made to immediately restore and enhance the subsidies in the area of social safety in the form of cash transfer to the elderly, pesa ya wazee and Linda Mama that covered maternal issues for economically disadvantaged mothers which have since been withdrawn.”

As President Ruto’s first 100 days in office come to an end on December 22, the opposition is expected to heighten its activities and rally the public to seek answers from the government over its failure to implement its promises.

Mr Odinga’s camp has lined up a series of activities for the next 30 days through the public consultative forums that his camp says will be executed through a multi-pronged approach — parliamentary initiatives, judicial actions, as well as through the court of public opinion.

Article 37 of the Constitution gives powers to Kenyans to assemble and hold demonstrations. Mr Odinga will begin his consultative forums on numerous issues. They include high cost of living, forcible ejection of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners, arbitrary sacking of civil servants, unfulfilled campaign promises and  lack of ethnic balance in appointments.

Some of the demands

1. Restore subsidies to unga, fuel, school fees and electricity by January 2023

2. Restore and enhance cash transfers to the elderly

3. Enhance the Linda Mama Programme to protect pregnant mothers

4. Institute discipline, order and clarity in Cabinet ministers’ declarations

5. Embark on consultative process to reconstitute IEBC

6. Ensure ethnic and regional balance in State, Civil Service appointments

7. Restore Kazi Mtaani project

8. discard plans to import Genetically Modified Foods and seeds