Kenya's Odinga tells off Western powers against his inauguration
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga speaks to the press in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Oct. 31, 2017. (Xinhua/Nyalwash)
NAIROBI, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga on Thursday slammed the United States and other Western countries who are against his swearing in next week as "People's President."
Odinga, who vowed that his Dec. 12 inauguration will continue as scheduled, accused Western countries of overstepping their mandate, saying the Western powers have been silent on police excesses against its supporters.
The opposition leader's remarks came a day after Washington urged Kenyan opposition to pursue electoral reforms within the country's laws and to avoid extra-constitutional actions such as the proposed "inauguration ceremony" slated for Dec. 12.
"The United States urges opposition leaders to work within Kenya's laws to pursue the reforms they seek and to avoid extra-constitutional actions such as the proposed 'inauguration ceremony' on Dec. 12," the U.S. Embassy said in a statement.
The statement was issued at the conclusion of a three-day visit by U.S. acting Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Donald Yamamoto who had held talks with the civil society, the opposition and government officials.
But the opposition leader said his swearing-in and the establishment of peoples' assemblies is to protest electoral injustices that have taken place in Kenya.
Odinga who vowed he will never recognize the victory of President Uhuru Kenyatta and said the police have killed 215 people since August.
The police have however denied the figure saying only a few people died during the clashes between security officers and opposition supporters in Nairobi and in Western Kenya.
Odinga withdrew from the repeat presidential poll on Oct. 26 despite taking part in the Aug. 26 ballot in which President Kenyatta was declared the victor.
He had argued that the mistakes that brought about the annulment of the Aug. 8 vote was most likely to be repeated as reforms have not been taken at the electoral body including the resignations of staffers who bungled the Aug. 8 general elections.
The opposition leader later urged the IEBC to postpone the repeat polls in light of the ongoing political turmoil and disagreements among the stakeholders, urging his support to stay away from the repeat exercise.
He has since announced the formation of a national resistance movement that is exerting pressure on the government to promote rule of law, electoral reforms and human rights.
Odinga said economic boycott, picketing and formation of a grassroots movement will underpin his quest for justice in the electoral system as well as political inclusivity.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Githu Muigai said Thursday the swearing in of Odinga amounts to high treason and warned that people that will facilitate or be involved in the event will face the full wrath of the law.
"The constitution of Kenya provides in clear terms in Article 2 (2) that no person may claim state authority except as authorized by the constitution. A swearing-in of any other person not declared to have lawfully won an election by IEBC and administered by the Chief Justice is high treason in respect of the person involved and any other facilitating that process," Muigai told journalists in Nairobi.
Muigai has warned that treason is punishable by death. "The criminal law of the Republic of Kenya, in Article 40 of the penal code provides or stipulates that that sort of process, is high treason," he noted.
He termed as illegitimate, the formation of People's Assemblies by various County Assemblies which he said do not possess such powers.
"The People's Assembly is an institution totally unknown to the constitution of Kenya and totally unknown to the County Governments Act. Parliament has not delegated any such power and the consequence for that is that those institutions are unconstitutional, illegal and are null and void," he said.
ComeUnity Cafe in downtown Jackson was one stop for the production crew of Mike Rowe’s online project that highlights businesses giving back to their communities.
