THE OPPOSITION On Friday Signalled A Sustained Resistance Against The Government.
This Is Even As Former President Uhuru Kenyatta Made His
First Appearance At An Azimio Event Since His Retirement.
The Coalition Held A Service In Honour Of The Victims Of The
Alleged Police Brutality, Launched A Funds Drive For Their Families And
Promised To Continue Fighting Against 'Government Excesses'.
Azimio Warned The Government Against Killing And Maiming
Innocent Kenyans Whom They Said Are Protected Under The Law To Protest And
Picket.
However, During The Event, Opposition Leader Raila Odinga And
Uhuru Did Not Make Any Remarks And Instead Allowed Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka
To Read A Joint Statement.
In The Statement, Kalonzo Asked The Government To Listen To
The Cries Of Kenyans Even As He Called For The Rule Of Law In The Governance Of
The Country.
"At A Time Like This, We Need To Dig Deep Into Our
Reservoir Of Sobriety And Take A Very Close And Dispassionate Look At Our
Nation... We Need To Listen To Each Other More Carefully, We Need To Tap Into
Our Wells Of Empathy, We Need To Soften Our Hearts, Unclench Our Fists And
Listen To Fellow Kenyans All Of Us," He Said.
"The Events Of These Past Days Need To Make Us Reflect
On The Present And The Future On The Way We Want To Run This Country And The
Way We Want To Be Governed And Not Ruled. We Need To Reflect On Our Values As A
Nation And Ask Ourselves Whether Our Actions Reflect Our Values."
The Presence Of Uhuru At The Memorial Service Held At Kalonzo's
SKM Centre In Karen Could Cause More Friction With Ruto.
The Former Head Of State Is The Chairperson Of The Azimio Council,
The Top Decision-Making Organ Of The Opposition Coalition, Which Has Been
Missing In Past Key Events.
Last Week, Uhuru Signalled He Could Step In To Openly
Challenge President Ruto's Decisions Following An Alleged Raid At His Son's Karen
Home Over Claims Of Illegal Guns.
"Have You Seen Me In Any Of Those Rallies? I Will Do
Everything To Protect My Family, That I Will Do," Uhuru Said Last Week
After He Visited Jomo's Home Moments After The Alleged Raid.
There Are Also Reports Of An Ongoing Push To Have Raila And Ruto
Hold Talks To End The Hostilities And Forge A Peaceful Path For The Country.
Kalonzo Said They Had Launched Citizen Emergency Fund' To
Help Maandamano Victims. By Friday, Sh4 Million Had Been Raised.
Uhuru And Raila Donated Sh1 Million Each While Kalonzo Gave Sh500,000.
"Even As We Continue To Mourn, Celebrate And Pray For
The Victims, We're Going A Step Further And Launch A Citizen's Emergency Fund
To Offer Practical Support To Families Of The Dead And The Injured," Kalonzo
Said.
The Opposition Played Nearly 50 Graphic Videos Of The People
Whom They Claimed Were Killed By Police Officers During The Anti-Government
Protests.
Azimio Also Displayed 80 Names Of The People Injured
During The Alleged Police Brutality.
In Turns, The Azimio Leaders Lit Candles And Laid Flowers At
A Podium In Honour Of The Victims.
The Clergy, Who Led The Prayers, Condemned What They Termed
As Execution Of Innocent Civilians.
The Civil Society Has Urged The State To Hold A Service For
The Police Officers They Claim Were Killed By Protesters.
The Government Has Strongly Defended The Conduct Of The
Police During The Demonstrations And Claimed That Some Officers Lost Their
Lives While Many More Were Injured By Protests.
Representing The Sector, Suba Churchill Claimed The Kenya
Kwanza Administration Was Living In Fear.
"We Challenge Them To Also Hold A Requiem Mass For The
Police Officers Whom They Say Were Killed By Protesters," He Said.
"Some Leaders Were Talking About The Sanctity Of Private
Property Yet They Allegedly Sponsored Goons To Steal Sheep From Former
President Uhuru Kenya's Northlands Farm."