Don't bring Azimio demos to Nairobi, Sakaja tells Nyong'o

Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja. [File, Standard]

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has asked his Kisumu counterpart Anyang Nyong'o to hold the weekly Azimio demos in the lakeside county, and not transfer the protests to the capital city.

Sakaja's remarks come after Nyong'o announced that he had suspended the weekly Azimio demos so that he could join other Azimio supporters in Nairobi for the protests.

"Kisumu governor's idea of exporting his demonstrations to Nairobi, making our county the capital of demonstrations and associated mayhem is preposterous and totally unacceptable," Sakaja said in response to Nyong'o on Wednesday, March 29.

"It has been decided that further protests and demonstrations shall similarly no longer take place in any part of the city," added the Nairobi County chief.

Sakaja said should the demos continue weekly in Nairobi, then the capital city would be deprived of economic growth.

"Nairobi County has already hosted two of these demonstrations. We have borne the cost of the disruption, and so far, Nairobians have patiently put up with the disruption and their taxes have paid for its aftermath," added Sakaja.

Earlier Wednesday, Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong'o said his administration had indefinitely suspended the holding of anti-President William Ruto demos in Kisumu.

"I announce that all public demonstrations within Kisumu County have from today (Wednesday, March 29), been suspended indefinitely so that we can join the demonstrations in Nairobi," Nyong'o said in a statement.

"I also announce that the people of Kisumu remain committed to the aspirations of the Azimio la Umoja coalition and its campaign for a better Kenya."

The protests, spearhead by Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya leader Raila Odinga, are pushing for the lowering of the cost of living and access to IEBC's electronic vote transmission system.