Nairobi — Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has lauded Ukambani residents for staying away from protests called by Azimio Coalition, and urged them to support the government.

Speaking during an interdenominational thanksgiving and prayer service on Sunday, Gachagua said protests are "destructive and only meant to slow down development."

"The decision you made to stay out of the protests shows that you are development conscious and that you don't like violence," he said of the protests called by Opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka - who is perceived as the political kingpin of the region recently criticized the Kamba community to stop what he described as "cowardice for low turnout in the protests."

Two weeks of protests last month left three people dead and property of unknown value destroyed in Nairobi and Kisumu before Odinga suspended them following a call by President William Ruto who proposed bipartisan talks through Parliament.

Odinga's plan to resume rallies and protests has thrown the planned bipartisan talks proposed by President William Ruto into disarray.

The two leaders are locked in a tussle on the reconstitution of the electoral commissioners which the president has said will only happen through bipartisan talks in Parliament.

But even though both sides have nominated their loyal members to take part in the talks, Odinga insists he wants the initiative expanded to be extra-parliamentary akin to the 2007/08 mediation talks led by former UN Secretary-General, the late Kofi Annan who led a political deal that got former President Mwai Kibaki to share power with Odinga who had disputed election results.

The dispute led to the worst political crisis in Kenya after deadly violence that left more than 1,100 people dead and half a million others displaced.