The High Court has technically declined to stop the planned Azimio protests scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
A businessman, Martin Gitau through Lawyer Adrian Kamotho, had moved to court seeking to stop the mass protests announced by Azimio Coalition leader Raila Odinga.
Justice Lawrence Mugambi directed that the application and petition be filed in the next three days and responses within ten days and set the hearing date for July 21 for further directions.
"Further documentation/replying affidavit by the petitioner be filed and served within 10 days," Justice Mugambi ordered.
In his petition, Gitau said if the court does not intervene, he is apprehensive that organisers of the protests would proceed in their unlawful course of violent protests to the detriment of the majority of law-abiding citizens who deserve to carry on with their daily activities without disruptions.
He listed Raila, former President Uhuru Kenyatta, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party as the respondents.
He said the protests would bring businesses to a standstill and extremely paralyse the transport system as happened during the Saba Saba protests.
"What followed on July 7 was demonstrations characterised by catastrophic violence, tragic chaos, and ruinous destruction of both private and public property," Gitau told court.
Azimio welcomed the court's decision and called on its supporters to turn up in large numbers for the three days of protests.
"The Court has refused to stop maandamano as requested by Kenya Kwanza through surrogate petitioner Martin Gitau. Tukutane Wednesday, Thursday na Friday," Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna said.
The opposition has called for the demonstrations to mount pressure on the Kenya Kwanza government to lower the cost of living and withdraw what it has termed as punitive taxes via the impugned Finance Act, 2023.
The coalition on Monday told President William Ruto and his allies to lower the cost of food and there will be no Kenyan will go to the streets.
"People want food, people don't eat government, legitimate or illegitimate. Give them food and they will leave the streets," Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi said during a press conference at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation in Upper Hill, Nairobi.