Shortly after the local police boss David Mathiu announced its cancellation, Opposition leader Raila Odinga and other Azimio leaders arrived in Murang’a for a town hall meeting.
The meeting’s convener, former Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria, was also present along with Martha Karua, George Wajackoyah, Jeremiah Kioni, Wycliffe Oparanya, Eugene Wamalwa, and others. The motorcade arrived in Murang’a town around 11am with little police presence.
Despite the cancellation announcement, Wa Iria insisted that he had informed the police of the town hall meeting. Meanwhile, former nominated MCA Habire Chege, who is Wa Iria’s pointman, was seen mobilizing residents to attend the gathering at Mothers Union Hall in Murang’a town.
The meeting was initially announced as an anti-government meeting, which prompted the Murang’a County Security committee to declare Odinga and his political associates unwanted in the region.
Mathiu cited a failure to meet public order dictates where notice should have been given four days in advance, leading to the rejection of Azimio’s request to hold the gathering.
As a result, Kainga maintained that Odinga and his associates would remain unwelcome and would not be allowed to engage in public gatherings unless they visited Murang’a as normal Kenyans with no intentions to honor the contents of their notice.
