Brian Mayodi
Silas Obuhatsa, the chairman of the National Parents Association, is now calling for the cancellation of the March 20th demonstration.
Students are expected to return to class on Monday following midterm vacation, according to Obuhatsa.
“If the ministry will see it’s not safe they can add a few days to Thursday so that parents monitor the safety of children,” Obuhatsa said.
Obuhatsa further urged President William Ruto and ODM Party head Raila Odinga to engage in dialogue.
He stated that the scheduled large-scale protest will take place if there is no dialogue by Monday.
“On Monday kids are resuming, how is their security, how will we protect them? It will be a problem for them to resume, parents are worried especially long distance,” he said.
To ensure that things continue as usual across the nation, the association head now claims that dialogue is the only option.
Raila unlawfully declared Monday, March 20, 2023, a ‘public holiday’ to enable Kenyans to participate in planned demonstrations.
He spoke in Siaya county where he urged his supporters to participate in the planned countrywide mass action which seeks to compel the government to lower the cost of living.
He predicted that the protests would be peaceful and encouraged participants to behave in a civilised way.
“In the name of Azimio one Kenya Alliance, I declare that Monday, March 20 shall be a public holiday,” Raila said.
Seven Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leaders declared on Friday that they would not take part in the highly anticipated demonstration that Azimio la Umoja party head Raila Odinga has scheduled for Monday.
The legislators, who included Felix Odiwuor Jalang’o (Lang’ata), Mark Nyamita (Uriri), Caroli Omondi (Suba South), Gideon Ochanda (Bondo), Paul Abuor (Rongo), Elisha Odhiambo (Rongo), and Tom Ojienda (Kissumu), urged Kenyans not to take part.
They argued that dialogue, not political conflict, was the only way to resolve the country’s current problem.
