At least two people have been seriously injured in Kisumu, following a violent clash between protestors who support the Azimio la Umoja movement and a group of Kenya Kwanza Alliance supporters who oppose the planned protest on March 20, 2023. Trouble started after the Kenya Kwanza group attempted to make their way to the Central Business District of Kisumu, but were disrupted by the Azimio supporters and pelted with stones. The two groups engaged in fistfights, threw rocks at each other, and set up roadblocks along the Kisumu-Kondele-Kakamega Highway.
A section of the Azimio supporters claimed that the Kenya Kwanza faction was against Raila Odinga’s call for mass action against the high cost of living, while the Kenya Kwanza group claimed that they were promoting peace and non-violent acts. The UDA leader condemned the attack on the peaceful march, saying such acts should not be tolerated.
Police were called in to quell the violence, and Nyanza Regional Police Commander Karanja Muiruri warned that the perpetrators of the violence and rioters behind the attacks on police officers will face the full force of the law. The violence has rattled businesses and raised concerns about the planned protest on March 20th.
The protests are expected to take place across the country and have already been declared illegal by the National Police Service. The Azimio coalition leader, Raila Odinga, has dismissed the police declaration, saying that the Constitution only requires protestors to serve notice, and it is not the responsibility of the police to license protests.
