Nairobi police chief Adamson Bungei has stated that police will not prevent the Azimio coalition from holding a protest against the recently passed Finance Act on Tuesday afternoon at Kamukunji grounds.
“They made requisite requests, and they were granted. We are allowing the meeting to take place, and there is no cause for alarm,” Bungei said.
The rally, dubbed “Kamukunji’s People’s Dialogue”, was scheduled to start at 1 p.m. EST after the coalition leader, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, arrives from Poland.
It is intended to provide coalition backers with a path forward in the wake of parliament passing the contentious Finance Bill, which President William Ruto signed into law on Monday.
Following Kuria Kimani, the chairman of the National Assembly’s Finance and National Planning Committee,’s third reading of the Bill on Wednesday of last week, it was quickly passed through parliament, which means Kenyans will now have to dig even deeper into their pockets to pay for the first budget of the Kenya Kwanza government.
A minimum of 184 Kenya Kwanza MPs supported the Bill, with the exception of Gathoni Wamuchomba of Githunguri, while 88 MPs, primarily from the opposition, opposed it.
Azimio co-principal Martha Karua announced they would consult Kenyans on the best course of action during a consultative meeting at Kamukunji grounds on Tuesday, a day after the Bill was passed.
“We have decided to invite Kenyans to a consultation at the Kamukunji grounds next Tuesday, June 27 at 10 a.m., (local time) where the next course of action will be decided. This time, there will be no difference. We believe that in the end, it is the people’s voice that will prevail,” she said.
Resuming street protests, which were suspended last month to open the door for dialogue with the government, is one of the options on the table for the coalition’s fight against what it claims is the government’s ignorance of the plight of the majority of already struggling Kenyans.
Since then, the bipartisan talks have stalled, with each party accusing the other of sabotaging them.
The government has repeatedly stated that any form of lawlessness, including business disruption, destruction of public and private property, and looting during protests, will not be tolerated.
Interior Cabinet Secretary, Professor Kithure Kindiki has maintained that Kenya is a democratic nation that respects the plurality of opinions and views on political, economic, and social issues, and has urged those who are dissatisfied with the outcome of the vote to seek redress through the courts.
“On the ongoing conversation over the Finance Bill 2023, the Government will provide the necessary security support to those who wish to air their grievances and views peacefully,” Prof. Kindiki said in Tharaka Nithi two weeks ago.