Kenya’s vice president calls on Odinga to cancel protests for the sake of the country’s economy
March 20 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Kenyan Police launched tear gas on Monday against the entourage of opposition leader Raila Odinga, in the midst of the mobilizations that have been taking place throughout the day, recording clashes and episodes of violence between protesters and the security forces.
Odinga’s entourage, made up of hundreds of his followers, has been greeted with tear gas when he left a hotel to meet with the media, reports the newspaper ‘The Standard’. His party, Azimio, has published on social networks an image of the car in which he was traveling, supposedly hit by projectiles thrown by the police.
Since the early hours of the day, shops on the main streets of the capital, Nairobi, have been closed for fear of looting. Odinga has warned that the protests will continue every Monday until the Government of William Ruto, among other things, lowers the high prices of basic products.
At least one person would have been shot, according to the BBC, while several deputies and representatives of Azimio have been arrested in the framework of the protests. Although they have subsequently been released, reports the newspaper ‘The Star’.
“We are seeing the country go back to the old dark days of dictatorship, the suppression of freedom, the suppression of free thought and everything that can be imagined,” deputy Opiyo Wandayi denounced.
For his part, the vice president of Kenya, Rigathi Gachagua, has asked Odinga to suspend the protests for the good of the country’s economy. “I urge Azimio leaders to stop the chaos so Kenyans can get back to work,” he said during his visit to the coastal city of Mombasa.
“In the meantime, Kenyans must ignore incitement to violence and destruction of property. As it is, some businessmen have not opened their shops for fear of looters. The country has lost billions today due to to these protests”, he reproached.
