Kenyan coalition wants guarantees

KENYAN opposition leader Raila Odinga said yesterday his coalition would not participate in the rerun of a presidential election proposed for October 17 unless it was given legal and constitutional guarantees.

Incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta responded by saying there was nowhere in law that required the electoral body to consult Odinga.

The opposition also said it was planning to file dozens of challenges to results from races lower down the ticket.

Odinga’s conditions for participating in the repeat presidential election include the removal of six officials at the election board. He wants criminal investigations to be opened against them.

“You cannot do a mistake twice and expect to get different results,” Odinga said. “A number of the officials of the commission should be investigated for the heinous crimes they committed.”

Kenya’s Supreme Court ordered on Friday that the August 8 vote be rerun within 60 days, saying Kenyatta’s victory by 1.4 million votes was undermined by irregularities in the process.

It was the first time in Africa that a court had overturned the re-election of a sitting president.

Analysts have said it is likely to lead to some short-term volatility in East Africa’s biggest economy, but could build confidence in institutions in the long term.