Raila says Saba Saba was not meant for countrywide demos
By Cy Muganda, July 20, 2025ODM party leader Raila Odinga has defended his stance on the July 7, 2025, Saba Saba protests, saying the commemorative event was meant to be confined to Kamkunji grounds and not spread countrywide as it eventually did.
Speaking during an interview on a local media station on July 20, 2025, Raila explained that the annual event, which has historically marked the struggle for multi-party democracy in Kenya, was meant to be observed at a specific venue — not through widespread protests that disrupt businesses and risk lives.
“On the issue of Saba Saba, we were actually commemorating Saba Saba, and I came out clearly and said I was going to go to Kamkunji to commemorate Saba Saba. Because Saba Saba was about Kamkunji. It was not about just general demonstrations countrywide,” he stated.
According to Raila, the chaos and violence that arose during the July 7, 2025, protests were due to some individuals taking different actions elsewhere, which he said made the situation almost uncontrollable.
“I said I would go to Kamkunji. Unfortunately, other people actually took actions elsewhere differently, and the situation actually became almost uncontrollable,” he stated.
The ODM leader emphasised that during this year’s Saba Saba protests, his goal was to hold a specific gathering at Kamukunji grounds, despite calls from young people to stage nationwide protests demanding better governance.
“I was not even able to go to Kamkunji, because the streets were closed by the government. Saba Saba was about going to Kamkunji to ask the people of Kenya if the country is ready for multipartyism,” he stated.
Contradicting statements
When pressed to explain whether his 2025 call to gather only in Kamukunji contradicted previous calls for mass action—including a 2023 speech where he encouraged Kenyans to protest in various towns—Raila argued that such statements must be interpreted within specific contexts.
He defended his position by asserting that effective protests require clearly designated venues rather than scattered actions across urban areas.
“If you’re saying in Nairobi, you say you’re going to Kamkunji. That’s the only place. So it’s not going to be in Kawangware, it’s not going to be in Woodley, it’s not going to be in Mukuru kwa Njenga or anywhere else. It’s a specific place, and that’s where you have the police to be,” he explained.
Impact of protests
When asked about protesters who planned to occupy Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) and other areas, Raila expressed concern over the potential impact on businesses.
“If you’re going to CBD, basically, you’re going to cause a lot of destruction to the business in CBD,” he remarked.
“That’s why even ourselves, when we were with Rubia and Kenneth Matiba, we said we’ll go to Kamkunji grounds where we’re going to talk to the people of Kenya and ask them if they’re ready for multi-partisan or not. So it was a very specific agenda,” he added.
Raila maintained that while the right to protest is fundamental, it must be exercised in a manner that avoids economic harm and preserves the message behind civic actions.
“If you’re going to do demonstrations, we don’t want the other people whose businesses are private to be affected. We want to go and make a point so that the government listens to what we’re trying to say. This is what it is, so this is how it happened all over the world. It’s not just in Kenya,” he said.