The Azimio Coalition on Wednesday, June 28, kickstarted the process of self-determination as promised by its leader Raila Odinga.
The former Prime Minister alongside his co-principals had on Tuesday, June 27, threatened to collect 1 million signatures with the aim of overturning what the coalition termed as punitive policies from President William Ruto’s government.
True to their threat, the coalition started collecting signatures in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) with a view of holding a referendum due to the high cost of living.
In a video endorsed by Azimio Principal Martha Karua, Kenyans were seen at the CBD appending their signatures to a form aimed at petitioning Ruto’s policies.
“We are requesting your signatures so that we can hit 1 million so that we can fight the high cost of living,” Kenyans were told.
According to the opposition coalition's plan, the signatures will help fight the rising cost of fuel, electricity and other basic commodities.
The signatures were being collected ahead of Friday, July 7, when Azimio is slated to start mass protests against the government over the controversial Finance Act 2023.
The motive of the signature collection exercise seemed to deviate slightly from what Azimio Principal Eugene Wamalwa had promised on Tuesday, June 27.
In the Kamukunji rally, Eugene was categorical that the signatures were meant to oust Ruto’s government from power.
While appending their signatures, Kenyans were, however, assured that the ink was meant to pressure the Kenya Kwanza administration into lowering the cost of living.
"We the people of Kenya will commence a signature collection exercise which will signal our willingness to reject Ruto's government.
“This exercise will take many other shapes and forms until when we shall push Ruto out of power," Wamalwa stated at the time.
The signature collection was one of the five demands that Raila made to Ruto and his government.
Other demands included; respect for the media, a defiance campaign against paying taxes, and permanent dissolution of the parliamentary bipartisan talks.
