Raila Odinga, the leader of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition, has previously organized mass protests that have led to significant political changes in Kenya.
However, his recent announcement that he will lead mass protests in 14 days if the government fails to meet his coalition’s demands has sparked concerns about civil strife and political instability.
Mr Odinga’s demands stem from the disputed August 9 General Election, which was settled by the Supreme Court. He is calling for changes to the formula for choosing Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) members and for the government to lower the cost of living. Mr Odinga has given the government 11 days to accede to his demands.
The escalation of tension comes in a week when diplomatic sources indicated that Deputy President William Ruto was behind the termination of Mr Odinga’s role at the African Union.
This move is seen as part of a larger scheme by President Ruto to ‘politically contain’ Mr Odinga, who is his main challenger in the highly charged 2022 succession race.
Diplomatic and constitutional means are being suggested to deal with Mr Odinga. One lawmaker allied to Dr Ruto has suggested that Mr Odinga be denied the privileges he enjoys both locally and internationally by virtue of his former office, among them access to VIP lounges at airports.
The lawmaker also sees Mr Odinga’s pronouncement of seeking to reclaim his ‘stolen victory’ as dangerous and says it should not be ignored by the international community.
