Resign, you have blood on your hands, ODM tells Ruto

ODM leader Raila Odinga speaks after chairing the party's Central Committee meeting on July 2, 2024. [Emmanuel Wanson, Standard]

Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has joined calls to have President William Ruto resign over his handling of nationwide protests.

In a stinging statement, the opposition party said the president had “blood on his hands” referencing the killings of innocent protesters, saying the protests of June 25 were a vote of no confidence against Ruto.

“We have the most callous, insensitive and obtuse regime in the history of Kenya. It is no wonder chants of ‘Ruto Must Go’ are ringing out all across the land. Government must never abdicate its responsibility to protect the life and property of its citizens, and if it does, it deserves to go,”  said ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna.

He spoke after a Central Committee meeting convened by ODM leader Raila Odinga, who flanked him during the press briefing.

“The youth have spoken in clear and certain terms. Let us not pretend like we don’t hear what they have said. You have heard, we have heard it and Ruto has heard it,” Sifuna said in response to the growing calls for the president’s resignation, which features among the demands by Generations Z protesters.

He described the current moment as “Kenya’s last best chance” of addressing its many ills.

“We are in awe of the Kenyan Youth, who through their unity of purpose have stood with their fallen colleagues and raised vast sums of money in very short times to pay hospital bills for the injured. As a mass movement that has been on this journey of true liberation, we know how difficult it is to achieve some of the things we have seen you do. You have absolutely earned our respect and we salute you,” added Sifuna.

ODM dismissed Ruto’s call for dialogue, arguing the environment he had created through the heightened police suppression of protests contradicted the president’s talks plea.

Sifuna announced that ODM supported a raft of demands by the youthful protesters, even as the party called out the Head of State for trying to absolve itself from blame over police killings and abductions during the ongoing protests.

“It is clear that no one in Government is ready to take responsibility, render an apology and make amends. The Head of State himself has tried to distance his regime from these killings, injuries and abductions, conjuring up theories when everyone can see the blood on his hands,” he added, threatening legal action against the Kenya Kwanza government for atrocities it has allegedly committed.

“As a Party that was founded on the tenets of social justice, we shall walk the journey of bringing about justice and accountability for all the regimes crimes since taking power,” said Sifuna.

Days ago, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka said he would petition the International Criminal Court to investigate the killing of more than 30 Kenyans by the police.

On Sunday, Ruto said all deaths would be accounted for, even though he denied claims of extra-judicial killings. Throughout the protests, he has been protective of the police, who have been captured on camera assaulting and shooting at unarmed protesters with bullets and tear gas.

“As believers in the Right to Peaceful Protest enshrined under Article 37 of the Constitution, we condemn in the strongest terms possible the abuse of police power in the deployment of violent suppression techniques on innocent unarmed protester. Our position is that no one has to die whilst exercising this right,” said the senator, who called out threats to cut funding for the Judiciary and county governments in the wake of the rejection of the Finance Bill, 2024.

ODM urged Ruto to listen to the young masses, implement the protesters’ demands to prevent a collapse of the nation and “take full responsibility for all the deaths, injuries and destruction of property arising from the violent suppression of peaceful protests.”