Raila Alleges Secret Gachagua Meeting To Spark Chaos During Protests

Azimio leader Raila Odinga on Thursday, March 23 alleged that Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was carrying out a secret meeting at his residence in Karen with the aim of disrupting the protests planned for Monday, March 27.

Speaking to the press, Raila stated that the meeting was attended by, among others, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah and Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro.

The former Prime Minister claimed that the Azimio coalition was in possession of authentic information that Gachagua had invited several youths to the meeting with instructions to counter the demonstrators during the mass protests.

He further noted that the plan would involve issuing the youth with uniforms similar to those worn by its youth movement, the Movement for the Defence of Democracy (MDD), which would allow them to join the protests without being spotted easily.

"We have very authentic information that on Tuesday evening, Mr Rigathi Gachagua convened a meeting at his residence in Karen and in attendance were Kimani Ichungwah and Ndindi  Nyoro. They invited youth from different parts of the country to that meeting.

"That meeting turned out to be a strategy session to plan to counter the demonstrators on Monday. The plan, according to the information we have, is that these youth are going to be given uniforms similar to those of the MDD, our movement. Then they will mix with our youth and accompany them throughout the demonstrations," he added.

The Azimio leader further claimed that the youth were ordered to kill over 1,000 people during the protests through all manner of weapons, terming this a move to give a reason for the trial of the arrested Azimio Members of Parliament to the International Criminal Court(ICC)

"They will shoot, stone, knife and aim is to kill over 1000 people and then they are going to make a case that there is a blood bath and they will try to send those who are leaders of Azimio to ICC," added Raila.

He however maintained that the protests will be peaceful, in line with its movement, and that any plans by the deputy president to cause chaos will fail.

"We want to condemn in the strongest terms protests this criminal plan by these people to try and cause bloodshed in our country. We have said that we are a peaceful movement and we don't want any bloodshed," stated Raila.

At the same time, Raila promised the biggest anti-government protests yet, appealing to his supporters to turn up in large numbers on Monday- albeit peacefully. 

He dismissed suggestions of a truce between him and President Ruto and asserted that the Azimio coalition would not reach an agreement with an 'illegitimate government' and threw away the Kenya Kwanza government's claims that Azimio is pushing for a handshake 

During the same address, he called off his earlier boycott of The Star newspaper after consultations with stakeholders.

"Following consultations with stakeholders, we have agreed to call off our boycott of The Star Newspaper. We have filed a complaint with the MCK on the paper’s biases," he stated.