On Sunday, January 5, Raila Odinga unveiled a youth wing for Azimio which he named as the Movement for the Defense of Democracy (MDD).
The unveiling was done at Kamukunji Grounds in Kibra during which members of the movement donned military fatigues - during a rally by the former Prime Minister.
The launch of MDD unsettled Kenya Kwanza’s supporters who wondered what Raila’s end game is.
Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot led Kenya Kwanza troops in condemning MDD and issued a warning.
“The youth wing accompanying Raila Odinga should be careful as we had a similar Orange Democratic Party (ODM) youth winger in 2002.
“When the coalition government was formed, many of them were left rotting in jail,” Cheruiyot warned.
He further alleged that it is President William Ruto who bailed out the 2007 youth wingers.
“The same repeated itself in 2018 when Raila went into a handshake with former President Uhuru Kenyatta,” Cheruiyot added.
On his part, vocal lawyer Miguna Miguna, a supporter of the Kenya Kwanza administration asked the president not give opposition leaders, the attention they are seeking.
"Make sure that Raila Odinga isn’t arrested or prevented from holding his rallies. Let him hold as many rallies as he wants. Just make sure that his goons don’t destroy any property or cause havoc. Their noise adds political colour!" Miguna posed.
Shadrack Kemei a Kenya Kwanza supporter urged the government to move with speed and arrest some of MDD members.
“Some of them are wearing real Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) combat boots, they are looking for trouble,” he observed.
His sentiments were echoed by Mugambi Amathi who urged the Head of State to use police force to deal with MDD.
John Huss wondered why they were still roaming free after appearing on national television wearing military gear.
“The government should act quickly and the youth wing be summoned by relevant security agencies to explain how they got hold of military gear,” he remarked.
MDD which is led by former and current university leaders revealed during the launch that they were fighting for the return of democracy in Kenya.
Former Pwani University student leader Fikirini Jacobs remarked that most Kenyans had lost hope in the electoral system because there was no democracy in the country.
According to National Police Act, it is illegal for any person to imitate a disciplined officer by wearing a uniform that can be interpreted as that of an officer.
"A person other than a police officer who puts on a uniform resembling or intended to resemble the uniform commits an offense and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one million shillings or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding ten years, or to both," the Act states.
"A person may though, with the approval of the Inspector-General use police uniforms for artistic purposes," the Act states further.
