The leader of the opposition in Kenya excuses himself from his absence in the protests he called: “He had a fever”

July 21 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The leader of the Kenyan opposition, Raila Odinga, has justified his absence from the demonstrations he called against the Government and which have been intensifying for days, with violent clashes with the security forces: “I am recovering from a very high fever” , has apologized.

“I have a very high fever, which hit me and has kept me in bed. I have received medical treatment and now I am improving. I will be fine,” he told NTV, from where he wanted to deny those who have accused him of hiding.

“It is not mandatory that opposition leaders must be seen on the streets,” defended the leader of the Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya coalition, which, he said, is leading the demonstrations from different fronts.

Odinga has taken the opportunity to attack the country’s president, William Ruto, whom he has branded as a “hypocrite”, because “today he says this, tomorrow he says something else”, and has denied that he is interested in being part of the Government. “We have not sought nor will we seek a handshake”, he has settled.

Nearly thirty people have died in the context of the latest demonstrations against the Ruto government, which defeated Odinga in last year’s disputed elections. This week three new days of protests have been called, which are scheduled to end this Friday, when schools and businesses have reopened normally.

The protests in recent days called by the opposition leader have shaken the capital, Nairobi, and other cities in the country, amid harsh repression by Kenyan security forces.

Odinga, who was prime minister between 2008 and 2013 and who rejected Ruto’s victory in the August 2022 elections – which he ran with the support of the outgoing president, Uhuru Kenyatta -, made an appeal at the end of June to a campaign of civil disobedience against the increase in fuel taxes.