Raila's Location Revealed After Absence From Motorcade

The Orange Democratic Party (ODM) has issued an update after Azimio la Umoja leaders failed to show up for the anti-government protests on Tuesday, May 2.

The protests had begun from Kawangware through Kangemi-Waruku all the way to Kiambu County, with reports indicating that the coalition was holed up in a meeting at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation in Upper Hill, Nairobi, discussing, among other issues, the bipartisan talks.

The Raila-led party nonetheless claimed that no one was robbed or harassed during the procession from Kawangware to Kiambu Road and that their procession from Kawangware to Kiambu Road was successful.

Section of Azimio MPs teargassed outside Harambee House Annex while trying to present their petition to the Office of the President. /FACEBOOK

"We have had a peaceful procession from Kawangware-Kangemi-Waruku-Westlands-Parklands-Muthaiga-Kiambu Rd with the full escort of the police in 15 land cruisers.

"Nobody was robbed. No mama mboga was harassed. Everyone was cheering on and saying how tired they are of the regime," the ODM party stated.

Raila also responded to the demonstrations by urging the police to respect the rights of the protesters, adding that some of his staff had suffered while under attack by police officers.

"Our media team's equipment was destroyed by the police as they lobbed teargas at a petrol station," Raila claimed on Twitter.

A contingent of anti-riot police officers blocked access to the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) at Fig Tree Hotel, Ngara and Landhies Road, preventing Raila from gaining entry to the city.

Azimio Members of Parliament (MP) who marched to present a petition to the office of the President at Harambee House were earlier teargassed by police officers.

“My 50 colleagues and I have been teargassed outside the Office of the President as we marched peacefully to deliver the People’s Petition. Gachagua told us we know where to find them. We do. We went there and instead met Police,” Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna tweeted.

At the same time, a lorry and a matatu were destroyed during the protests, with both being set on fire.

"The officers assured us that the road was clear, but we drove straight into the chaos. They started pelting stones at vehicles.

"Those with smaller vehicles made u-turns while others sped off. I tried to turn but I could not, that was when a crowd of rowdy youths surrounded the trailer," narrated Jibril Abduba, the driver of the trailer set ablaze at the Kibra section along the Southern Bypass, to Citizen TV.

Jibril claimed that the unidentified gang of youth forced entry into the driver's cabin and dragged him out of the vehicle as they searched the cabin for valuables.

The driver escaped and watched as the gang torched the trailer from afar. However, the goons did not access the consignment in the container, which he revealed to be electrical cables he was ferrying from Mombasa to Kampala, Uganda.

A trailer set on fire along the Southern Bypass at Kibra during Azimio la Umoja protests on May 2, 2023. /CITIZEN TV