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10
Fri, May

Africa News
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Kenya's Raila Odinga, the main opposition candidate in the disputed election leader, has declared himself the "people's president" at a controversial "swearing-in" ceremony in the capital.

Thousands of his supporters attended the event, despite a government warning that it amounted to treason.

The authorities shut down TV stations to prevent live coverage of the event.

President Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn in for a second term last November. He won an election re-run in October, but Mr Odinga boycotted it.

Elections were first held in August but the courts ordered a re-run, saying Mr Kenyatta's victory was marred by irregularities.

Holding a Bible in his right hand at a park in Nairobi, Mr Odinga declared that he was answering to a "high[er] calling to assume the office of the people's president of the Republic of Kenya".

People had had enough of election rigging and the event was a step towards establishing a proper democracy in the East African state, Mr Odinga told a cheering crowd.

Speaking earlier to Kenyan broadcaster KTN, Mr Odinga said his "swearing-in" was intended to "show the world that what we are doing is legal, constitutional and not something you can remotely describe as a coup".

 

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