Activist Boniface Mwangi, who is one of the organisers of Occupy Parliament protests has defended Opposition leader Raila Odinga for missing Tuesday’s demos.
Mwangi said age had caught up with Raila and that the Opposition leader is also seeking to be the next AU Commission chairperson.
“Raila is unemployed, is looking for a job at the AU so he is busy canvassing to get the seat. Raila is also old. He has done this for over 40 years. We should be ashamed of ourselves for demanding more from Raila. He has given his best,” he stated.
Mwangi further said it is the civic duty of all citizens to hold their leaders accountable.
“If the Opposition has let us down, it is because they have no leader,” he stated.
Last year around the same time, Opposition chief Raila Odinga called deadly anti-government protests over soaring cost of living, tax hikes and alleged malpractice in 2022 presidential election.
Though the Opposition coalition Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Alliance has directed its MPs to oppose the Finance Bill, 2024, its lawmakers did not participate in Occupy Parliament protests.
The ‘Occupy Parliament’ protests are meant to influence and pressurise MPs to vote against the bill and its proposed taxes which have been perceived as ‘punitive’.
Mwangi further said the government needs to conduct an audit of all its debts.
“We are paying debt. We need to know the debts we are paying. Where is this money going to,” he said.
“When they came to power they said there was state capture and money had been stolen. How come they are not going after stolen money,” Mwangi wondered.