Kenyan President urges peace
Kenyatta calls on Kenyans to maintain peace ahead of fresh presidential polls NEW WAVE OF VIOLENCE
Nairobi, Kenya, Oct. 22: President Uhuru Kenyatta urged Kenyans to maintain peace ahead of fresh presidential elections next week as at least one person was shot and wounded by police amid a rise in ethnic tensions in the capital.
A resident of Nairobi’s Lucky Summer low income area on said Sunday that tensions grew after a traditional ceremony was performed by members Mr Kenyatta’s Kikuyu community which some residents interpreted as a war ceremony.
Sheila Kariuki said supporters of opposition leader Raila Odinga went to the ceremony’s site and police shot them when an argument started.
Mr Kenyatta’s August reelection was nullified by the Supreme Court and a new election ordered.
Tensions have increased ahead of the fresh vote set for October 26 which Mr Odinga is boycotting because the electoral commission has not been reformed.
In a ruling issued, the Kenya’s Supreme Court had said the electoral board committed “irregularities and illegalities” during last month’s vote, harming the integrity of the election.
The Nairobi-based court had ordered another presidential election to be held within 60 days.
“The declaration [of Kenyatta’s win] is invalid, null and void,” said Judge David Maraga, announcing the verdict of four out of the six judges.
No presidential election in Kenya has ever been nullified before.
Maraga said the election commission “failed, neglected or refused to conduct the presidential election in a manner consistent with the dictates of the constitution”.
In a national address following the court decision, Mr Kenyatta had said that while he “personally disagrees” with the ruling, he will “respect it, as much as I disagree with it”.
“It is important to respect the rule of law ... we are ready to go back again to the people with the same agenda,” he said as he appealed for calm.
But he also criticised the six members of the Supreme Court for going “against the will of the people”, by nullifying the vote.
Kenyatta had told his supporters that his status as “president-elect” had been taken away by “Maraga and his crooks.”
He added that the judges should know they are dealing with an incumbent President.
A lawyer for Kenyatta, Ahmednasir Abdullahi, said the decision was “very political” and the election board had “done nothing wrong”. But he said the decision had to be respected. The protest was brought before the Supreme Court by Mr Odinga.
Mr Kenyatta was announced the winner with 54 per cent of the vote — but Mr Odinga claimed the election was rigged with electronic voting results hacked into and manipulated in favour of Mr Kenyatta. Vatican City: Pope Francis on Sunday called for constructive dialogue in Kenya where he said he was following the situation with “close attention” over disputed elections.
“I am paying close attention in these days to Kenya, which I visited in 2015,” Francis told pilgrims and tourists gathered for the Angelus prayer.
Francis said he was praying “that the whole country might be able to face the current difficulties in a climate of constructive dialogue, having at heart the search for the common good.”
In a shock decision, Kenya’s Supreme Court overturned the August election victory of President Uhuru Kenyatta over his opposition leader Raila Odinga, citing “irregularities” in the transmission of the results.
The ruling, unprecedented in Africa, has plunged the country into its worst political crisis since postelection violence in 2007 and 2008 left 1,100 people dead.