Raila Announces Return Of Public Barazas In Nairobi

Azimio la Umoja Leader Raila Odinga has announced the return of public engagements in Nairobi.

In a statement on Tuesday, April 11 by Azimio Executive Council chairman, Wycliffe Oparanya, Raila revealed that the engagements would begin with a townhall meeting with his supporters on Thursday, April 13 followed by a Kamukunji event for Sunday, April 16.

Oparanya added that the public engagements followed the coalition's demands to President William Ruto ahead of bipartisan talks following the suspension of the demonstrations.

"On April 1, 2023, we called off street demonstrations against the Kenya Kwanza regime to give way for a structured dialogue on issues we feel are critical to the wellbeing of the country namely: the high cost of unga, fuel, electricity and school fees, opening and audit of the IEBC servers, protection of the letter and spirit of fidelity to multiparty democracy and adherence to the principle of inclusivity in the appointment of civil servants.

"As the negotiators take up their responsibilities, we will embark on a series of direct engagements with members of the public through town hall meetings and public Barazas," the statement read in part.

Breaking down the dates of engagements, Raila revealed that: "We will hold the first town hall meeting in Nairobi on Thursday, 13th April 2023, to be followed by a people's Baraza at the Kamukunji grounds on Sunday, 16th April 2023.

"The purpose of the town hall meetings and public barazas is to enable the party to explain to the people where we are and the upcoming course of action following the suspension of protests," Oparanya added.

Raila called off the protests on Sunday, April 2 to allow the opposition and the government to engage on issues that were brought to the fore by the former.

However, the resumption of public engagements did not mean that the coalition was not committed to the bipartisan talks.

"Azimio remains committed to the spirit of the Easter deal that saw the two parties to commit dialogue and call on Kenya Kwanza to come to the table with clean hands, unclenched fists, and a commitment to an honest and transparent process that engages on all the issues bedeviling our country," the coalition assured Kenyans.