Twasema POLE: Raila Odinga Apologizes for Rowdy Youth Incident.

Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya leader Raila Odinga has issued an apology following a chaotic incident that disrupted the coalition’s event at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation. On Wednesday, July 18, a group of rowdy youths stormed the venue, causing mayhem and leading to the forceful ejection of journalists and leaders.

Photo file of Raila Odinga during a past event.

Among those affected was Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who was in the midst of reading the opposition coalition’s resolutions from a Parliamentary Group meeting when the disruption occurred. The unruly youths roughed up Kalonzo and other attendees, leading to a scene of confusion and disorder.

In a statement addressing the incident, Raila expressed his regret and offered an unreserved apology to those impacted. “The Rt. Hon Raila Odinga regrets the events of yesterday and takes this early opportunity to offer unreserved apologies to the journalists and fellow leaders who got caught up in the unfortunate incident,” read the statement from Raila’s spokesperson, Dennis Onyango.

Raila highlighted that the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation has been a venue for many significant moments in the country’s history and that such incidents are unprecedented. He assured journalists and leaders that measures would be taken to prevent similar security breaches in the future. “We will take stock of the events and seal loopholes to ensure that journalists and leaders remain safe and free at functions,” Raila promised.

The incident left several journalists injured, prompting the Political Journalists’ Association of Kenya to demand an apology from the coalition. The association emphasized the need for the safety and protection of journalists covering political events, calling for immediate action to address the security lapses that led to the unfortunate incident.

As the coalition reviews the events and works towards improving security protocols, the media fraternity and political leaders will be watching closely to see the steps taken to uphold the safety and freedom of all participants at future events.