How Ruto Team Is Sabotaging Collection Of Signatures- Azimio

Azimio la Umoja legislators on Monday, July 17 claimed that Kenya Kwanza was deliberately interfering with their signature collection initiative aimed at airing their grievances towards President William Ruto's government as well as supporting the initiative of civil disobedience.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, while speaking during a press briefing at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation (JOOF), alleged that Kenya Kwanza allies were sabotaging Azimio's signature collection website aiming to collect 15 million signatures to delegitimize Ruto's government.

Sifuna further claimed that the website had challenges in terms of its operations, challenges which included attacks whose nature the senator did not reveal, with Sifuna further faulting Kenya Kwanza for setting up a clone signature collection website to deter former president Uhuru Kenyatta, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka from participating in mass action.

Senator Edwin Sifuna speaking at Kihumbuini Primary in Westlands on July 14, 2023. /EDWIN SIFUNA

"They are crying and saying that this signature thing is going nowhere, but they are actively sabotaging the collection of signatures. We have had over 1,000 attacks on our website.

"They have even cloned our website to confuse our supporters, but we are saying Kenyans want to eat and they want to eat today, it doesn't matter how long you cover your ears, we will slap them until they open up," Sifuna affirmed.

Azimio had launched their signature collection drive online on Tuesday, July 11 seeking to culminate into a referendum to impeach President Ruto. The website is running in tandem with the mass protests as well as the physical signature collection.

Kenya Kwanza however responded with a similar signature collection drive dubbed titled babatumechoka (we are tired), which invites Kenyans to append their signatures to bar the trio from the protests, the link having been shared by Digital Strategist, Dennis Itumbi, on Sunday, July 16.

How To Use Kenya Kwanza Signature Collection Website

For one to participate in the initiative, they will be required to key in their details including their Identification Number, name, phone number, county, constituency and ward names.

Further, they are required to include their digital signature before proceeding to the final stage where the user gives authorisation to receive communication issuing the way forward.

Conditions To Call Off Protests

Meanwhile, the Azimio legislators vowed to push on with plans to stage three-day maandamano protests from Wednesday, July 19 to Friday, July 21 despite pressure from Kenya Kwanza and religious groups to call them off.

In a statement, the team led by National Assembly leader of Minority Opiyo Wandayi affirmed that they would only drop the protests if President Ruto lowers the cost of living before the demonstrations.

"Kenya Kwanza is accusing Azimio of failing to provide solutions to the rising cost of living. We know no country where a party stays in government but wants the one out of government to provide solutions to the problems of the people.

"If Kenya Kwanza's solutions are not working for the people, Kenya Kwanza needs to get out of power. Disband and Quit," the statement read in part.

Wandayi also expressed concerns regarding Kenya Kwanza's resolve to counter the protests instead of addressing the concerns raised by the opposition, backing up Raila's statement hinting at the establishment of a killer squad called Operations Support Unit (OSU), whose brief is to maim and kill protesters, including Azimio leaders.

The opposition called upon their supporters to maintain peace during the protests and not to engage the hired youth planning to disrupt their programmes.

"In this regard, we take great exception to the continued threats to the life of our leader, Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, as propagated by senior leaders of the Kenya Kwanza regime. There will be a price to pay for those threats," added the statement.

Raila's faction also claimed that governors were also involved in the plan including some from Azimio, with plans on taking action against those who will finance the counter-protests.

However, Azimio's claims have been dismissed by a number of Kenyan Kwanza legislators who indicate that the meeting with President Ruto at State House was aimed at strategising on how to protect the lives of Kenyans and their property in the areas expected to be hardest hit by the counter-protests.