NAIROBI: Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn-in for a second five-year term as riot police sealed off an area where the opposition planned a rival gathering and tear-gassed people trying to reach it. Kenyatta won a repeat presidential election on Oct. 26 that was boycotted by opposition leader Raila Odinga, who said it was not free and fair.
The Supreme Court of Kenya had earlier nullified the first presidential election, in August, over irregularities. The Supreme Court later upheld the results of a presidential re-run held in October declaring President Kenyatta as the winner, paving the way for his swearing-in. Six judges determined that two petitions against Kenyatta's re-election lacked merit and therefore were dismissed, saying the President was validly elected.
The extended election season has divided Kenya and blunted growth in East Africa's richest economy. Odinga's supporters, many drawn from poorer parts of the country, feel locked out of power and the patronage. Heads of state from Somalia, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Zambia and other nations were present during the swearing-in ceremony. Odinga supporters say talk of unity is tantamount to surrender. They accuse the ruling party of stealing the election, rampant corruption, directing abuse by the security forces and neglecting vast swathes of the country, including Odinga's heartland in the west. At least 37 people were killed and hundreds injured in clashes during the August election.
