Democracy
Azimio la Umoja leaders on Sunday celebrated the famous Saba Saba Day in Meru County with a rallying call to the Kenya Kwanza Government to fast-track the constitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) among other institutional changes.
The day emanates from July 7, 1990, when Kenyans took to the streets to demand free elections, and politicians who had called for the protests, Kenneth Matiba and Charles Rubia, were arrested days before the protest day.
Led by Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka, Eugene Wamalwa (Democratic Action Party-Kenya) and Peter Munya (Party of National Unity), the leaders called on President William Ruto to expeditiously sign the IEBC bill into law in order to move the country forward.
“We have come to Meru to celebrate this great day just as we had promised since it reminds us the far our country has come from in terms of democracy and where we are heading to, since the journey to liberate our country is not yet over,” Mr Musyoka said.
He said Saba Saba day is very significant to the country as it is the day that Kenyans pushed for repealing section 2A of the constitution just like the young people commonly referred to as Generation Z pushed for the suspension of the unpopular finance bill 2024/2025.
“We are happy that a section of the Kenyan legislators and especially the senate has stood firm with those calling out on issues that are not going on the right way. Kenya is for all of us and if something goes wrong, then we will all be affected in one way or the other,” said Mr Musyoka.
He said Azimio leaders and followers will use the day to remember the young people who perished during the Generation Z protests that were held in the last three weeks where he also called on the government to ensure justice was served to the bereaved families.
“In working together, we will achieve the changes that we are anticipating for, and I want to assure that the struggle continues, and this country will never be the same again,” said Mr Musyoka. Mr Wamalwa urged Kenyans who believe in the cause of liberating the country that all was not over, with a call on the government through the ministry of defence to withdraw deployment of KDF within the country.
On his side, Muya said the day was a great one to the history of Kenya in terms of commemorating all the freedom fighters. “We will not keep quiet but will continue to correct the government where it goes wrong. We want a government that is accountable to its people and not that which lives large as its people are languishing in poverty,” said Mr Munya.