Raila forced to change tact after Tumaini Supermarket loot by his supporters

The Tumaini Supermarket looting on Friday may have made Nasa presidential candidate Raila Odinga change tact in the anti-IEBC demonstrations, which he said will be for three days a week.

In a closed door meeting Sunday night at Capitol Hill Hotel Kisian, Mr Odinga is said to have been angered by the rowdy youth who engaged in looting from the Kisumu’s largest supermarket.

READ: Raila's team make new announcement after Tumaini Supermarket looting

The meeting, which lasted for over an hour, and attended by six Nasa MPs sought to change the tact even as police on Thursday last week issued a warning to the supporters, arguing that the demonstrators had not obtained clearance from the area police boss.

It is understood that Mr Odinga was angered by the rowdy supporters in his backyard, prompting him to issue a demand that required all MPs, senators and governors associated to Nasa to steer the demonstrations in person, to avoid more damages to people’s property.

“Our party leader told us to be on the frontline during the demo and ensure we converge at one particular place when starting the demo and completing it and ensure no one is left behind to take advantage of the demo to commit crime,” Nyando Constituency lawmaker Mr Jared Okello said as quoted by the Nation.

He added: “The message remains ‘no reforms no elections’. We will hold the demos on three days this week and might scale it up to every day, including weekends, upon success of this week’s protests.”

The new strategy by Mr Odinga’s team comes amid rising concerns by Jubilee party brigade that the Opposition is using demonstrations to cause economic sabotage ahead of repeat presidential elections, slated for October 26.

ODM party leaders also asked the area lawmakers not to relent in the push for reforms in IEBC, with a possibility of scaling it up to many days in the coming weeks before the October 26 repeat election.

Last week Mr Odinga announced that Nasa will be holding three demonstrations per week, slated for Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in a bid to have the IEBC changed, and also push out the Jubilee amendment laws on elections.

“We have a clear agenda as Nasa through the street protests. We are showing our dissatisfaction with IEBC as presently constituted and want to ask the police to protect businesses as they employ our people,” Dr Owili said.

He went on: “We should not destroy our property. If you love him (Raila), don’t burn roads and destroy property.”

Mr Odinga’s call in part stressed his message on Saturday, where he reiterated that Kenyans’ journey to “Canaan”, the famed Promised Land, was unstoppable.

Muhoroni MP Onyango K’oyoo, Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor, Nayndo MP Mr Jared Okello, Seme MP Dr James Nyikal and Kisumu Central’s MP Fred Ouda were present.

Also in the meeting was Nyanza presidential campaign team, Kisumu County leaders led by Deputy Governor Mathews Owili, Kisumu Chief of Protocol Bob Madanje and Kondele Ward Representative Joachim Oketch.

Last week demonstrations turned ugly when one person was killed in a stampede in Siaya. Later hundreds of protestors broke into Tumaini Supermarket in Kisumu. This might have prompted the new decision by Mr Odinga.