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Kenyan President William Ruto on July 24, named four ministers from the main opposition party in a bid to form a broad-based government
Anti-government protesters in Kenya’s capital clashed with a pro-government group recently, leading to the burning of a motorcycle that belonged to people who were voicing their support for the president.
The pro-government group took to the streets of Nairobi on motorcycles on Tuesday morning ahead of a planned demonstration by anti-government protesters. Elsewhere, police hurled tear gas canisters at protesters who had blocked another major road that leads to the airport.
Meanwhile, Kenyan President William Ruto on Wednesday (Jul. 24) named four ministers from the main opposition party in a bid to form a broad-based government. Hassan Joho was nominated as Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs; Wycliffe Oparanya was designated as Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives, John Mbadi at the National Treasury ministry and Opiyo Wandayi at Energy. The four politicians were part of a batch of 10 nominees. They are close allies of the Orange Democratic Movement leader. This comes despite a warning by the party’s leader Raila Odinga. Odinga, earlier, was alleged to have been going slow on the government which led a section of protesters that he had colluded with or lured by the government.
Kenya’s anti-government protests entered their fifth week, having started as calls for legislators to vote against a finance bill that proposed new taxes. President William Ruto declined to sign the controversial bill and has dismissed almost all of his Cabinet ministers, but protesters have continued calling for his resignation. At least 50 people have died and 413 others have been injured in the protests since June 18, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
Police last week banned protests in Nairobi citing the lack of clear leadership to coordinate with police to ensure safety and security. The court issued an order suspending the police ban on protests. Kenya’s constitution guarantees the right to peaceful protest and police are given advance notice to provide security. Police in the past have been accused by activists and civil society groups of violence toward demonstrators.
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Opposition leader Raila Odinga, who earlier had called for talks, denied allegations that he had been bribed to join Ruto in forming a broad-based government and expressed his support to protesters, providing a list of demands that he said must be met by the government before dialogue.The opposition is demanding that families of the killed protesters be compensated and that charges against those arrested during protests be dropped.
