Kenyan opposition suspends protest after agreement with government

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By Webdesk


The biweekly demonstrations began in March against alleged fraud in last year’s presidential elections and the skyrocketing cost of living.

The Kenyan opposition has suspended the latest anti-government protests scheduled for Thursday after reaching a deal with President William Ruto’s government.

The opposition Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) party, led by veteran opposition politician Raila Odinga, said in a statement Wednesday that its leaders had met and “agreed to suspend mass protests again”.

The decision was made after Ruto’s ruling Kenya Kwanza (Kenya First) alliance agreed to “one of our demands,” the statement said. The opposition has not provided details of the agreement.

Since January 23, Odinga, who lost to Ruto in last year’s presidential election, has held a series of nationwide rallies calling on his supporters to overthrow the current government over alleged voting fraud.

In March, he began organizing biweekly protests to put political pressure on Ruto, whom he accused of rigging the election, and to highlight the high cost of living.

Thousands of Kenyans heeded Odinga’s calls for anti-government protests on Monday and Thursday, holding three rallies despite a government ban on demonstrations. Violence broke out, including fighting between police and protesters, property burning and the use of tear gas.

In early April, the opposition suspended protests after agreeing to hold talks with Ruto’s representatives, but later announced that demonstrations would resume, accusing the government of not negotiating in good faith. The protests started again on Monday.



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