Despite Warning, Kenya’s Opposition Leader, Odinga Sworn-in as ‘People’s President’

Posted by African Examiner African News, East/Central Africa Tuesday, January 30th, 2018

BALTIMORE, MD (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Kenya’s first opposition leader, Mr. Raila Odinga, has been sworn-in as the “People’s President.”

The controversial swearing-in ceremony which held at a park in the capital Nairobi was attended by thousands of Mr. Odinga’s supporters in spite of a government warning that the action amounted to treason.

While holding a Bible in his right hand, Mr. Odinga declared that he was answering to a “higher calling to assume the office of the people’s President of the Republic of Kenya”.

As the event lasted, the authorities ordered shutting down of TV stations to prevent forceful access and subsequent live coverage of the event.

Incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn in for a second term last year November.

Kenyatta won rerun poll in October last year, but Mr. Odinga boycotted it.

It would be recalled that elections were first held in August, 2017 but the Supreme courts ordered a rerun, citing many irregularities.

Mr. Odinga told the cheering crowd that people have had enough of election rigging and the event was a step towards establishing a proper democracy in the East African country.