The Kenyan government says it does not recognize the planned swearing-in of opposition leader Raila Odinga as the ‘people’s president.’
The opposition NASA coalition has planned a swearing-in ceremony for Odinga, scheduled for Tuesday 30, in the capital, Nairobi.
NASA insists the former Prime Minister won the 8 August election, accusing President Uhuru Kenyatta of tampering with the results to his favour.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission declared Kenyatta the winner of Kenya’s August 8 presidential election, with 54.3 per cent of the votes ahead of Odinga who garnered 44.7 per cent.
A dispute ensued after the declaration of those results, as opposition supporters clashed with police. Kenya National Commission on Human Rights issued a report on 9 October saying the clashes had killed 37 people and injured more than 100 others.
The Supreme Court nullified that result, saying the vote had been marred with irregularities in the tallying and transmission processes. It ordered a repeat, which was conducted on October 26, which Odinga boycotted. Kenyatta won that vote with more than 98 percent of the votes cast.
Nairobi county police commander Japheth Koome on Sunday issued a strong statement, warning opposition supporters against attending the rally at Uhuru Park, following a closure of the venue by county authorities.
Uhuru Park a no-go zone for NASA this Tuesday, says Nairobi police boss Japheth Koome ^MK @CzedaBrenda @JKioria pic.twitter.com/ZNjYM0wfS6
— KBC Channel1 News (@KBCChannel1) January 28, 2018
Vice President William Ruto also dismissed the NASA event, saying Kenya had moved on following the lengthy political period which saw the country hold two presidential elections.
“The people had decided on their leaders during the elections and that’s a closed chapter,” he said.
He said that the government was now focused on uniting Kenyans after the elections which divided the country along ethnic lines.
The country’s Attorney General Githu Muigai in December also warned Odinga of engaging in the swearing-in, saying it was tantamount to treason. He said the 73-year-old faces the death penalty if he went ahead with the plans.
