Piece by: NANCY AGUTU

29 March 2023

• “There have been unfounded allegations that Honourable Uhuru Kenyatta is funding the current protests. Nothing could be further from the truth,” Raila said.

• He further defended the protesters who were throwing stones at the police, claiming that they were defending themselves.

Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta is not sponsoring our demonstrations, Azimio leader Raila Odinga has said.

Speaking during a BBC Africa interview on Tuesday, Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition chief said the claims by some leaders were unfounded.

“There have been unfounded allegations that Honourable Uhuru Kenyatta is funding the current protests. Nothing could be further from the truth,” Raila said.

Raila said Uhuru cannot engage in 'domestic issues,' despite still being a member of the movement.

“Uhuru is still the chairman of this movement, but he’s restrained himself and has had no time to engage in domestic issues at all, neither has he commented or talked about what is going on in the country,” he said.

He further defended the protesters who were throwing stones at the police, claiming that they were defending themselves.

Raila said the demonstrators wanted to come out to protest but they were blocked by the police.

Last week, Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah was heard urging the former President to desist from allegedly funding Azimio's anti-government demos.

"When a Kenyan’s property is invaded, then we will also invade your land and ask homeless Kenyans to settle on them. Don’t think that only the ordinary Kenyan will lose their property," he said.

"Even you will pay a price if you continue to instigate violence and bloodshed in this country. That is my message to none other than Uhuru Kenyatta."

Ichung’wah has since defended himself against the Monday invasion of the Kenyatta family farm in Ruiru, saying he was only relaying a message that the people of Mount Kenya had been saying about the Kenyattas.

The legislator has condemned the invasion and called for investigations for the perpetrators to be brought to book.

Uhuru’s family farm—Northlands City was destroyed and set ablaze by suspected goons who were armed with machetes.

The group was also armed with power saws and felled a number of trees before escaping with an unknown number of sheep.

The retired president is yet to comment on the Monday happenings.