Lawyer Miguna Miguna has recently spoken out against the potential prohibition of anti-government protests by President William Ruto’s administration. According to Miguna, former Prime Minister and retired President Uhuru Kenyatta is simply trying to provoke Ruto into a public conflict in order to gain public sympathy.
“Their goal is to gain compassion,” Miguna stated, referring to Kenyatta and Raila Odinga, the leader of the opposition. Despite this, Miguna argued that the government should not criminalize such gatherings, but instead challenge the opposition calmly in all forums.
This comes as the opposition, led by Raila, continues to hold protests in opposition to Ruto’s leadership. At these rallies, the opposition claims that Ruto manipulated the presidential election in August 2022 with the help of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, and that their win was stolen.
Raila has been particularly vocal in his opposition to Ruto’s administration, stating that “We do not recognize the Kenya Kwanza administration as a legitimate government, nor do we recognize Ruto as president or any individual in his government.” The opposition is urging Kenyans to oppose the regime’s harsh levies on everyday goods.
To date, the opposition has held five protests calling for Ruto’s resignation, with the first taking place at Kamukunji grounds, followed by Jacaranda and Kibra before arriving at Mavoko. Most recently, a rally was held in Busia by Azimio, with another rally planned for Kisii.
Miguna’s encouragement to allow these protests to continue could signal a shift in the government’s response to the opposition. Rather than criminalizing the protests, the government could instead choose to engage in dialogue and address the concerns of the opposition.
It remains to be seen how the Ruto administration will respond to Miguna’s advice, but the situation in Kenya is likely to remain tense as the opposition continues to hold rallies and voice their opposition to the current government.
