Kenya’s Odinga Mulls Next Move on Disputed Election

Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga was weighing his next move Monday to contest an election he claims was rigged after defying pressure at home and from abroad to take his complaints to the courts.

The 72-year-old insists he was the rightful winner of a “stolen” election last week and urged his supporters to stay away from work Monday to mourn the deaths of those killed in angry protests against the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

However, after nearly a week in limbo in which businesses remained shut and workers stayed home, Nairobi came back to life on Monday with many unable to afford any more time away from their livelihoods.

“I came to work because I need to eat, I need my children to eat, and I need my grandchildren to eat. They can call us to strike, but at the end of the day, they’ll be eating and we won’t,” said Margaret, 62, a hairdresser in the Kibera slum, an Odinga stronghold.

“You know, I am very sad that Raila did not win, but what can he do now? It’s over and we want peace.”

Kenyatta reached out to Odinga, offering a “hand of peace” and urged him to use legal means to express his grievances. He also said Odinga was free to organise peaceful demonstrations if he chose not to go to court.

“Just do it peacefully, orderly... As a government we will not allow loss of life, destruction of property and looting, because many, many millions of Kenyans also are desirous to go about their business as before,” he said.