Opposition leader Raila Odinga said on Tuesday he was suspending a protest campaign after three people were shot dead in demonstrations against Kenya’s election body.

“In honour of the innocent victims of the state, our protests will stay suspended. On Friday, we will mark the memory of these victims as heroes of the struggle for electoral justice,” he said in a statement.

The National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition had earlier said the protests would resume on Wednesday after a one-day break to honour the victims.

Odinga said the party would communicate “our next course of action” on Friday. He launched a protest campaign three weeks ago against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

He said the panel had failed to properly reform since the Supreme Court annulled an August 8 presidential election over irregularities in the counting process.

On Friday last week two protesters were shot dead by police in Odinga’s rural home of Bondo, in the west of the country. Police commander Leonard Katana said the demonstrators were shot after attempting to “attack” the police station.