Search Results for: Raila Odinga

The sun had barely risen on October 15 when Kenya awoke to the shocking news that its veteran leader, Raila Odinga, had died while in India at the age of 80. According to hospital officials in Kerala, he suffered a heart attack during a morning walk. From that moment, the country entered mourning—not just for [...]

Kenya lawmakers launched a motion in parliament on Tuesday to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of gross violation of the constitution, stirring ethnic hatred, and undermining the government. The motion, introduced by Enoch Wambua, who represents Kitui West, cites 11 grounds for impeachment under Articles 150(1)(b) and (2) and 145 of the Kenyan constitution. [...]

On June 18, 2024, huge demonstrations broke out in Kenya over the contested Finance Bill 2024. These protests initially intended to compel legislators to reject the bill, which featured provisions that would financially burden Kenyans. Unlike the previous protests against the Finance Bill 2023, this one had several distinguishing characteristics. Primarily, the country’s Gen Z youth spearheaded these [...]

No sooner had the dust of 2023 settled than the leader of the executive arm of Kenya’s government launched missiles of subliminal jibes aimed at what he termed “a tyrannical and corrupt judiciary.” President William Ruto—a product of the Kenyan Supreme Court’s ruling on the 2022 Presidential Petition—averred that some judges were bent on sabotaging [...]

Aynsley Genga is a JURIST Senior Correspondent in Kenya. She files this dispatch from Nairobi. What exactly is a country? Is a country its people, or is a country its government? Moreover, do the laws of a country exist to serve its citizens or do they exist to serve the whims of its government? And [...]

Rights groups and civil society organisations in Kenya called Sunday for the urgent reconstitution of the country’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and the full repeal of the controversial Finance Act 2023 in a bid to calm the hot political climate in the country. Their call came after widespread demonstrations last week against the incumbent [...]

A Kenyan police official told the Associated Press on Thursday that police received a warning against reporting deaths that have occurred as a result of this week’s opposition protests over the country’s high cost of living. Although it was unclear who issued the direct order, it came after opposition leader Raila Odinga called for three [...]

Aynsley Genga is a JURIST Senior Correspondent in Kenya. She files this dispatch from Nairobi.   On Thursday, July 20th, Kenya entered its second day of demonstrations, in a series of nationwide opposition protests planned from Wednesday to Friday this week. Since Wednesday, most businesses have been closed, either in support of the protests or due [...]

The Kenya Human Rights Commission announced Wednesday that police authorities killed at least three protesters on Wednesday and another seven on Tuesday. The deadly protests come only a week after police shot and killed two stone-throwing protesters from the nationwide taxation protests. As a result of the violence, Kenya’s Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) announced [...]

Aynsley Genga is a JURIST Senior Correspondent in Kenya. She files this dispatch from Nairobi.  On Wednesday, 12th July, Kenyans once again took to the streets to demonstrate against the tax-laden Finance Bill and the current high cost of living. The demonstrations took place under the guidance of Raila Odinga, Azimio party leader and the [...]