Azimio lawmakers has been teargassed at the Office of the President. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

A section of Azimio lawmakers were Tuesday teargassed at the Office of the President in Nairobi.

The lawmakers were caught in the fracas while on their way to the premises to present a petition on the issues they wanted the Government to address. 

According to a tweet by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, the group of about 50 Azimio-allied lawmakers marched peacefully to present their grievances when the police took action.

“My colleagues and I have been teargassed outside the Office of the President as we marched peacefully to deliver the people’s petition. Gachagua told us we knew where to find them. We do. We went there and instead met the police. Cowards!” Sifuna tweeted shortly after the incident.

 
The MPs were on their way to present a petition to the president's office. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The lawmakers caught in the melee include Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang, Likoni MP Mishi Mboko, and Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu among others.

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In a statement confirming Tuesday's demonstrations, Azimio la Umoja Leader Raila Odinga indicated that the demonstrations will include a stop at four various government offices in the country.

Azimio had planned to present a petition at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), addressing electoral injustices and the removal of the four commissioners alias 'Cherera Four'. 

According to the statement, the Azimio team had also planned to show up at the Office of the President to present a petition as proof of the high cost of living and also barring the office from staging takeovers of rival political parties.

Here, he made reference to the ongoing leadership wrangles at the Jubilee Party whose leader is the immediate former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“We will be visiting the National Treasury to petition for the immediate release of all funds owed to counties and the timely payment of salaries to all civil servants,” Azimio said. by MAUREEN NJERI , The Standard