Rapper DNA condemns Azimio protests, says Ruto not to blame for high cost of living

Taking to Tiktok, DNA said the protests are unnecessary as President William Ruto's administration is not to blame for the skyrocketing cost of living in Kenya.

The rapper instead says the high cost of living is a result of the Covid-19 pandemic that hit the world from 2020 onwards, and the Russia-Ukraine war that has destabilised the globe. 

"Maandamano does not make sense because the cost of living is not only high in Kenya but the whole world. This is because during the pandemic the US government printed a lot of money to give to its citizens who were working from home. That caused inflation," he said.

Further, DNA dismissed claims by Raila that Ruto rigged himself to power, saying the Azimio team had the backing of a sitting president (former President Uhuru Kenyatta) and had all the chance to win the election. 

"Rigging claim is distasteful. If you can sit with a sitting president and be part of the system, and not be able to pull a win on top of the table, then it was written in the stars that it shall not be," DNA added. 

He, however, lauded Raila for consistently putting previous governments on check, saying this has liberated Kenyans from what would otherwise be dictatorship and lack of service delivery.

DNA said that even though the Kenyan constitution allows protests, whatever Raila and his team are fighting for is misplaced. 

Azimio has held protests in Nairobi and other parts of the country on two consecutive Mondays. The protests have turned chaotic on both days, with police and protesters clashing. 

Ruto's administration has outlawed the demonstrations but Azimio has held its ground that it is within its constitutional right to picket and demonstrate. 

On Monday, police clashed with Raila and his entourage as he held rallies in Kawangware and Kibra areas. His attempts to access the Nairobi CBD have been thwarted twice. 

Protests have also been held in Raila strongholds of Kisumu, Siaya and Homa Bay.