Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party leader Raila Odinga has accused President William Ruto-led administration of unleashing what he terms a trained illegal killer squad to target opposition leaders.
Odinga claimed that the current regime is using a gang called Operation Support Unit (OSU) disguised as police officers to commit atrocities against Azimio leaders and supporters.
While blaming OSU for the deaths witnessed in Wednesday’s protests in Mlolongo, Kamkunji, and Jogoo Road, the Azimio chief stated that his organization would not back down in its fight for the country’s liberation.
According to Odinga, the president’s recent remarks that he would ‘conclusively deal with Odinga politically, once and for all’ point to the alleged killer squad’s directive to target Azimio leaders.
“This time, it’s not just official security officers who are terrorizing Kenyans. “Kenya Kwanza has embedded a trained killer squad into official security agencies under the guise of Operation Support Unit and unleashed it on Kenyans,” he claimed.
“OSU was disbanded a few years ago and its members were sent home,” says Mr. Kariuki. The squad has returned. OSU was active last Wednesday in Kamkunji, Jogoo Road, and Mlolongo, firing at protesters and killing some.”
Odinga added: “OSU’s main brief is to hurt and execute Azimio leaders and protesters. It is the squad Ruto is counting on ‘kusafirisha’ Azimio leaders as Mr William Ruto warned.”
The former premier cited the post-independence struggles for multi-party democracy and the fight for the new Constitution, reiterating that he would not be cowed by threats to stop the anti-government protests.
“Kenyans have never lost a liberation struggle. We get beaten, arrested, and killed but we never lose,” Odinga stated.
He assured of triumph saying, “We shall not lose the one currently under way. Police killings during protests have happened in the past. Almost always, those shot are innocent Kenyans not involved in demonstrations. These killings are meant to spread fear among Kenyans so that they succumb to the excesses of the regime.”
