The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Supporters of Raila Odinga were tear gased during the opposition leader’s birthday celebration, according to leaders from his Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party.
Kalonzo Musyoka, the leader of the Wiper Party, revealed at a press conference in Nairobi that they had to relocate the cake-cutting ceremony organized to commemorate Odinga’s 79th birthday due to the incident.
Musyoka expressed concern over the tear-gassing of supporters, questioning the necessity of such actions during a birthday celebration. He suggested that it might be an attempt to suppress a potential uprising. Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi accused the police of orchestrating the incident, linking it to government apprehension about tensions and financial difficulties faced by Kenyans as schools reopened.
Despite Odinga’s reported absence during the alleged incident, witnesses saw individuals dressed in the opposition coalition’s colors singing birthday songs around a cake near Kenya National Archives in Nairobi. Tear gas canisters disrupted the celebration, leading to chaos as people scattered. A woman in purple attempted to salvage the cake from the smoke, but another canister landed on it, prompting her to discard the cake.
The cakes displayed messages such as ‘Cut VAT,’ ‘Cut Turnover Tax,’ and ‘Cut Housing Levy,’ along with a miniature Kenyan flag. Azimio leaders relocated the cake-cutting ceremony to Serena Hotel, emphasizing that the tear gas reflected the government’s fear of Odinga. Musyoka asserted that no one should prevent people from celebrating with a cake.
