KENYA: Two presidents, one country.
January 31, 2018The Kenyan opposition leader, has taken an unofficial oath to be "sworn in" as the nation's people's president. On Tuesday afernoon, Odinga took his oath as he was cheered on by thousands of supporters who had gathered in Nairobi's Uhuru Park.
"Today is a historic day for the people of Kenya," Odinga said in a speech after taking his oath. "The people have gathered here in the hundreds of thousands to say enough is enough with the electoral rigging."
"Today's step is one step towards the doing away with electoral autocracy and to establishing proper democracy in our country."
President Uhuru Kenyatta |
In December, Githu Muigai, Kenya's Attorney General, said that Odinga's alternative swearing-in ceremony would amount to treason. Authorities shut down independent TV stations, as security in the Kenyan capital was tightened ahead of the self-declared inauguration.
Raila odinga |
Linus Kaikai, chairman of the Kenya Editors Guild, said on Monday that senior editors had been summoned by the authorities to not cover the event or risk being shut down.
The ceremony had been described as "anti-climactic" as three other main coalition partners did not show up leaving many disappointed.
"Three other main coalition partners did not show up," she explained.
However, it was said that the absence of Musyoka and other coalition partners did not matter. President Uhuru Kenyatta won a second and final five-year term in office and was sworn in as president in November. A symbolic swearing by Odinga could be a way of persuading President Uhuru Kenyatta to come to the negotiation table.
Source: Saharareport
0 comments