The Azimio la Umoja Coalition has made allegations that Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka was prevented from leaving his home, in what they claim was an attempt to hinder his participation in the ongoing nationwide protests.
Addressing the media on Friday, July 21, National Assembly Minority Leader and Ugunja MP, Opiyo Wandayi, accused the State of orchestrating a witch-hunt against opposition leaders, specifically targeting Kalonzo Musyoka. According to Wandayi, Kalonzo has been under detention since the protests began on Wednesday, July 19.
"Kalonzo Musyoka has been detained for the last two days and has not been able to leave his house," Wandayi stated to journalists outside Kalonzo's Karen residence.
Wandayi, a close associate of former Prime Minister and opposition leader Raila Odinga, condemned the government's actions, claiming that the detention of Kalonzo, a respected national leader, was unprecedented.
He went on to assert that the State was planning to restrict other opposition leaders from leaving their homes as well. The coalition threatened to take decisive action against those responsible, including seeking legal recourse, though it did not clarify whether it had already engaged lawyers for this purpose.
Jubilee Party Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni supported the claims and alleged that several Azimio la Umoja allied politicians were still missing or being held without trial.
On Friday morning, July 21, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino was released from detention after being charged with conspiracy to commit subversive activities. However, the whereabouts of Raila Odinga's bodyguard, Morris Ogeta, and his spokesperson, Dennis Onyango, remained unknown at the time of reporting.
Kioni refuted the notion that the State detained opposition leaders in anticipation of violence arising from the ongoing anti-government protests. He reaffirmed Azimio la Umoja's commitment to holding President Ruto accountable and demanded the immediate, unconditional release of all detained Azimio la Umoja leaders and their associates.
In the midst of these developments, reports surfaced that foreign diplomats from the United Nations, European Union, the United States, and Denmark held a closed-door meeting with Kalonzo Musyoka at his home in Karen, Nairobi. The agenda of the meeting remains undisclosed.
Earlier, foreign envoys had urged Raila and his Azimio la Umoja coalition to pursue dialogue to resolve their differences with President Ruto. Britain's King Charles III also offered to mediate between the opposing parties in an effort to restore peace in Kenya.
As tensions escalate and concerns about democratic freedoms persist, the situation in Kenya continues to draw international attention and calls for peaceful resolution.
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