Azimio accuses government of misleading international community in letter to diplomats
Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition party has accused the government of brutality and seeking to turn the international community against it.
The coalition leveled the accusations in a statement issued by the party’s spokesperson, Makau Mutua, in response to a letter sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to international and diplomatic missions based in Nairobi.
According to the coalition, the letter by the ministry attempted to justify the use of force against peaceful protesters on March 20, painting Azimio La Umoja as a violent party out to subvert and cause chaos. The protest was part of a series organized by Azimio la Umoja to demand electoral justice and lower living costs.
In the statement, Mutua refuted the allegations, stating that the party’s demonstration was legal and within the constitution, with Kenyans having the right to assemble and demonstrate. He accused the police of initiating the violence, resulting in several deaths and injuries, and damaging the vehicles in which Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka were riding. He also claimed that some of their leaders were arrested or blocked from leaving their homes.
“The letter, which can only be described as a screed of naked propaganda attempts to justify the police brutality against peaceful demonstrators on Monday and seeks to paint Azimio La Umoja One Kenya as a violent party bent on subversion and chaos. Nothing could be further from the truth. We recognize the letter as a crude attempt by the Kenya Kwanza illegitimate regime to turn the international community against Azimio La Umoja and its current push to hold Mr. William Ruto and his regime accountable,” the letter read in part.
Mutua also accused the Kenyan government of being illegitimate, claiming that the result declared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) was unconstitutional and without merit.
He argued that a compromised Supreme Court ignored overwhelming evidence and essentially gave a stamp of approval to the illegalities. Mutua further accused the government of trying to throttle and kill Kenya’s democracy by cannibalizing and destroying Azimio La Umoja, bringing Parliament under complete control, and bringing the judiciary and institutions of justice under its control.
“The author forgets that the result declared by IEBC chair Wafula Chekubati was wholly unconstitutional and without merit. Where in the world can an electoral commission composed of seven members declare a result that is disputed by four members, a majority of the commission? How can the verdict of a minority of three trump a majority of four? This is absurd, illegal, and unconstitutional on its face. It cannot happen or stand anywhere else in the world,” Mutua stated.
He claimed that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission had all been taken over by the government, with serious cases, some on murder and grand corruption, being dropped against members of its regime.
Mutua alleged that the government was selectively prosecuting and persecuting individuals perceived to have been close to the previous regime or those in Azimio La Umoja.
He further accused the government of trying to create its own IEBC to rig itself into power again in 2027.
Mutua called on all Kenyans to join them in their quest for justice and dignity, saying that they will not relent until their demands are met. He also urged the international community to stand with them and condemn the atrocities committed by the government.
“For our part, we will not relent, or surrender, to an illegitimate regime. As we announced on March 21, our demonstrations will now take place twice a week on Monday and Thursday until there is change in Kenya,” he said.