'We’ll stop people from coming out of their homes,’ Raila says on future protests

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party leader Raila Odinga has now hinted at how the opposition faction may conduct future anti-government protests in order to prevent cases of police brutality and killings.

Speaking on Friday at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Park in Bondo, Siaya County, during the interdenominational prayers for victims of police brutality, Odinga said the coalition may resort to barring its supporters from leaving their homes.

Citing past incidents where he accused the government of attacking innocent people and attempting to instil fear through the police, he said the opposition would direct its supporters to stay indoors as an alternative means of protest.

He underscored that the move would serve the same purpose of compelling the Kenya Kwanza administration to heed to the people’s needs.

“These acts will not cow us...we don’t even have to bring people on the streets, we can tell them to stay at home; that is another way of expressing displeasure and dissatisfactory,” he said.

“Next time we will not tell people to come out to the streets, we will tell them to stay in their homes and see what they (government) are going to do; we will tell them to stay at home and stop anyone who tries to come out.”

The opposition leader blamed President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua for the reported police killings, further accusing them of ethnic profiling of specific communities which did not vote for them during the 2022 General Elections.

Odinga argued that President Ruto had not come out publicly to condemn the police acts, but has instead been hailing the officers, while his deputy - at the same time – continues to remain unapologetic over his past utterances that “the government is a company with shareholders.”

He stated: “(Inspector General Japhet) Koome is but an instrument because we have heard Mr. Ruto bragging all over…’tutawakalia ngumu hawa watu, tutawanyorosha, police wamefanya kazi nzuri kwa kulinda Wakenya, hatuwezi kukubali wengine wafanye maandamano ya kuharibu mali ya Wakenya.’”

“Which property was being destroyed in Bondo, Sondu, Migori or Nyalenda? These were planned wanton killing of our people, and the basis of these were laid by your deputy Gachagua.”

Odinga added: “There are communities which did not vote for Kenya Kwanza and that is why they don’t have shares in your government; that is the reason why you have profiled those communities. It is not just about the Luos but all the communities which voted for Azimio.”

Consequently, the Azimio chief called for the intervention of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the international community to probe the killings and ensure the rights of Kenyans are protected.

He compared President Ruto with German dictator Adolf Hitler saying that if the ICC and international communities continue to remain silent about Kenya, then the current regime would make the country a fascist.

“We want the international community to stand with Kenya; we are saddened to see that the diplomatic community residence in Kenya are silent when fundamental rights of Kenyan people are being violated by the regime,” lamented the former premier.

“I know how fascism started in German, by profiling…Hitler started by profiling the Jews; the only good Jew is a dead one. This is what is happening here in Kenya; you are trying to start a fascist regime in this country; you are congratulating police for killing innocent children.”