Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition has finally launched Movement for Defence of Democracy (MDD) after the 14-day ultimatum to the Kenya Kwanza regime to lower the cost of living among other demands.
On February 22, 2023, Azimio leaders while at Jevanjee Gardens in Nairobi gave the current government the 14-day ultimatum failure to which they promised to call for mass protest countrywide.
Among the things, Azimio protested at Jevanjee were high prices for basic commodities, stopping the process of disbanding the IEBC unless they are fully involved, and opening the IEBC savers.
The 14 days ended Wednesday at midnight.
The coalition through Articles 1 and 37 of the constitution formed the MDD.
Article 37 states that every person has the right, peaceably and unarmed, to assemble, demonstrate, picket, and present petitions to public authorities.
“We are today invoking these provisions of our constitution to launch a massive peaceful movement of defiance against an illegitimate, reckless, heartless, and incompetent Kenya Kwanza regime,” Azimio leader Raila Odinga said.
Odinga said that the government is dangerous for democracy.
He blamed Ruto’s government for making the cost of basic commodities and services unfordable to the great segment of the population in the country.
He pointed out that it was heartless for the government to remove subsidies to unga, electricity, petrol, diesel, paraffin, bus fare, and school fees.
He called out Ruto for launching a massive propaganda campaign against the subsidies program that was meant to secure millions of Kenyans.
The MDD is anchored on various reasons including the high cost of living, over-taxation, importation of GMOs, single-handedly reconstituting IEBC, refusal to open IEBC savers, and the victimization of commissioners Marsit, Chereira, Nyang’aya, and Wanderi.
Other reasons are the Supreme Court upholding Ruto’s win, dictatorship, tribalism, creation of extra positions, unparalleled religious harmony, and tribalization and ethnicization of civil service.
Azimio also demands that probe and justice for the killing of an ICC witness, land grabbing among top officials in the government, and incompetency of some of the executive members.
