NAIROBI, Kenya May 3 – Azimio La Umoja coalition has called off protests set for Thursday after Kenya Kwanza agreed to drop Aden Keynan from bipartisan talks, as demanded by the Raila Odinga-led coalition.
“This evening, the leadership of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party met and agreed to once more suspend the mass protests that we had earlier scheduled to continue tomorrow,” it said in a statement.
The ruling coalition announced on Wednesday that it had replaced Keynan with Diddo Raso, moments after the Azimio coalition issued a statement saying it was ready to call off the planned protests.
“We appreciate the statement by Azimio on the resumption of talks. We appreciate the reconciliation tone from Azimio,” said Kimani Ichungwah, the Majority Leader in the National Assembly in a joint statement with his Senate counterpart Aaron Cheruiyot.
“We have consulted with Keynan and he has agreed to recuse himself so that we make progress,” they said, “We have agreed to nominate Diddo Rasso so that these talks can continue.”
A statement issued earlier by Azimio and which was signed by Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka states that the coalition was ready to call off protests if only Keynan was replaced.
“This was the offer I made on Sunday,” Kalonzo said, “all our other conditions remain the same.”
The Raila Odinga-led coalition has been holding protests since last monthover the high cost of living and alleged electoral fraud, and had vowed to resume demonstrations on Thursday unless their demands are addressed.
Key on the demand was the replacement of Keynan, whom they said belongs to their coalition and cannot therefore negotiate for Kenya Kwanza which he “purports to have joined.”
Odinga narrowly lost to President William Ruto — his fifth presidential election defeat — and continues to insist that the poll was fraudulent and that victory was “stolen”.
