The Cord prayer rally earlier scheduled for today (read Sunday June 19) in Machakos town has been postponed to next week.
The rally was called off to allow legislators detained for four days at Pangani and Muthaiga police stations in Nairobi to rest.
“The rally was meant for me but I needed time to rest. I feel tired, exhausted and cannot manage to attend it,” Muthama told the Star on phone.
He also said that the coalition will give further directions on Monday concerning the earlier announced weekly protests.
The demonstrations, the legislator said, remain suspended to pave way for ongoing discussions around the IEBC stalemate – which insiders at the coalition say are progressing well.
Cord had planned the meeting to counter what they termed as suppression of freedom of expression following the incarceration of the eight MPs over suspect hate speech.
The opposition also announced plans to hold a public meeting and a vigil at the Freedom Corner in the event that the legislators were not released.
The prayer service was to be conducted in Machakos town, ‘for the political prisoners ‘ .
The meeting, which had been okayed by area governor Alfred Mutua , was expected to be politically charged.
Cord believes, through a statement it sent to newsrooms before the meeting was postponed, that Kenya is sliding into a society in which the government is directly threatening opposition politicians, depriving them of freedom of speech as well as denying them rights of assembly.
Muthama, Gatundu South MPs Moses Kuria (Gatundu South) Julius Bosire (Kitutu Masaba) Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati) Ferdinard Waititu (Kabete) were bailed out on Friday last week following the charges against them.
Others who were detained included Busia and Kilifi women reps Florence Mutua and Aisha Jumwa respectively.
