'Be ready for countrywide protests,' Raila tells Kenyans ahead of address on Finance Bill

Azimio La Umoja opposition coalition leader Raila Odinga has called on Kenyans to be ready for nationwide protests if the government will not heed calls to bring down the cost of living.

Speaking at Chungwa House on Wednesday when he met members of the Gusii Community living in Nairobi, Mr. Odinga said the President William Ruto-led administration was turning a deaf ear to Kenyans including the so-called hustlers who supported them in the last elections.

 “The Kenya Kwanza leadership has 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,” said Odinga.

The opposition leader said on Thursday he would address the nation on the controversial Finance Bill 2023, together with his colleagues in the Azimio La Umoja Coalition, and would “blow the trumpet” to  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”, he said.

The Azimio leader said 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”, he said.