One Kenya Alliance leader, Raila Odinga, has urged his supporters to prepare for potential mass protests if their efforts to reject the controversial Finance Bill 2023 in the National Assembly prove unsuccessful. Raila, who seems to have ruled out dialogue with the government, challenged Kenya Kwanza leaders to pass the contentious bill. He hinted that these demonstrations against the government could resume on July 3 and continue indefinitely. However, Raila stated that the official call for protests would only be made after the Members of Parliament have voted on the Finance Bill.
Raila has adopted a two-pronged approach to address his political concerns, hoping that his allies in Parliament will vigorously oppose the Bill. Publicly, the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is actively persuading more Kenyans who are against the Bill to join his cause. It remains uncertain how Azimio, Raila’s political platform, will gather sufficient support in the National Assembly to defeat the Bill, as Kenya Kwanza currently holds the majority.
In summary, Raila Odinga, the leader of the One Kenya Alliance, has called for his supporters to prepare for potential mass protests if their attempts to block the Finance Bill 2023 fail in the National Assembly. Raila has adopted a dual strategy, attempting to rally public opposition to the Bill while relying on his allies in Parliament to fight against its passage. The outcome remains uncertain, as Kenya Kwanza holds the majority in the National Assembly.