In the media briefing, Raila Odinga ordered his supporters to stand down from the planned protests slated for Monday, April 3, 2023.
Odinga’s media briefing came shortly after President William Ruto urged the opposition to call off the anti-government protests, saying he was ready to engage all leaders to solve the concerns addressed by Azimio.
One of the demands President Ruto yielded was the ongoing recruitment of IEBC commissioners, which the head of state said he was willing to suspend.
While calling off the protests, Odinga welcomed the president’s decision to address some of the opposition’s concerns.
“Ruto has asked me and Azimio to enter into a constitutional open-ended and biding dialogue with his govt to find a resolution to the issues that we in Azimio have raised over the last year’s elections and key governance and cost of living issues facing our country,” h said.
“We acknowledge Mr Ruto’s olive branch for a dialogue on key issues raised by Azimio La Umoja. To us, this is a positive development,” Odinga added.
He noted that a balanced Parliamentary process co-chaired by both sides and backed by experts from outside should proceed.
“In our view, this committee must be composed with immediate effect with strict deadlines for resolving the crisis facing the country,” he spoke.
However, Odinga said that Azimo la Umoja would resume the anti-government protests if the talks with President Ruto fail.
Watch Raila's full speech below.