NAIROBI, Kenya—People’s Renaissance Movement (PM Party) leader Caleb Amisi has recounted the moment the police fired a tear gas canister into a car he was driving.
The anti-riot police hurled a tear gas canister through the window of Amisi’s vehicle as he travelled with an opposition convoy linked to the late Raila Odinga’s NASA coalition.
The incident happened on October 13, 2017, ahead of the repeat presidential election in Upper Hill, Nairobi, as the convoy approached the city center during the anti-IEBC protests.
“On this day, I almost died. Baba led us to protest bad governance. The hypocrites now posing as his biggest cheerleaders tear-gassed us. A canister was thrown into my car. I nearly suffocated. A journalist and a street boy saved me. Baba, you taught us bravery,” Amisi posted on his social media platforms.
https://twitter.com/Honcalebamisi/status/2104231352405033238
Following the melee, Amisi collapsed on the street after inhaling the gas, while his driver and bodyguard fled the scene.
MP Caleb Amisi saved from the police attack
Local journalists, a water vendor, and a Capital FM media crew provided first aid and drove the lawmaker to safety.
Dramatic images of Amisi leaning out of his smoke-filled car window were captured by international media, including Reuters.
Amisi, the vocal Saboti MP, recently torched claims that young Kenyans waited on Linda Mwananchi to launch the PM Party before he was overwhelmingly endorsed as the party leader during the National Delegates Convention (NDC) at the ASK Jamhuri Grounds in Nairobi.
https://twitter.com/StandardKenya/status/2103087116469035337
In a series of posts on his official social media platforms, Amisi shared documents from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties showing, step by step, the genesis of the PM Party, which is currently on a nationwide popularisation and mobilisation tour.
“This is to the ignorant naysayers. In the current Office of the Registrar of Political Parties regulations, you cannot just wake up one day and register a party. It takes not less than one year, and it is a herculean task,” said the youthful lawmaker.
Why did the Kenyan youth form the PM Party
While hitting back at his critics, Amisi said the PM Party was established by young Kenyans yearning for change.
“Kuwakumbusha tu. This is the start of the PM Party. From ground zero to where it is now. It went through several rejections, back and forth, until they finally cracked it. All by the efforts of young people determined to change the bad manners in our political system,” he explained.
According to Amisi, amidst all this, the young Kenyans behind the idea knew it was never going to be an easy ride, “but the stubbornness of the status quo must meet the energy and courage of our generation. This is the call of our generation, and we must win our 4th liberation no matter what.”
In another post, Amisi shared a picture of the first-ever gathered meeting of what he said is now Linda Mwananchi.
“We started as Kenya Moja, and we were referred to as the third force. We only adopted Linda Mwananchi after the other ODM groups started Linda Ground,” added Amisi, who is keen to defend his Saboti Parliamentary seat in the forthcoming polls.
https://twitter.com/Kenyans/status/1567900073303973889
Amisi, who recently led the nationwide PM Party mobilisation tours of Western Kenya and Kisii region, disclosed that the goal was one to make Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna president as a departure from what he termed the old status quo.
“The movement has since been infiltrated, and the same people who joined Linda Mwananchi without understanding the assignment misled and frustrated Sifuna’s efforts,” Amisi explained.
PM Party officials updated the Linda Mwananchi team
Amisi, serving his second term in parliament, opines that Governors James Orengo (Siaya), George Natembeya (Trans Nzoia), Vihiga Senator Geodfrey Osotsi, and others only joined recently and must all stick to Sifuna as the assignment.
“While this was happening, youth gathered to register a party called (PM) People’s Renaissance Movement for the movement and kept updating the entire Linda Mwananchi team on the progress,” added Amisi.
https://twitter.com/Honcalebamisi/status/2105196286689362306
He further observed that Sifuna knows about all this, urging him not to remain silent in the midst of controversy.
“Tell your supporters the truth and stop calling young people moles while they work out here to support your bid for presidency. These youths have suffered humiliation and gone through a lot to come up with such an initiative,” remarked Amisi.
