Odinga pulls out of Kenya poll repeat

KENYAN opposition leader Raila Odinga said yesterday he would not stand in a court-ordered rerun of August’s presidential election scheduled for October 26, saying the polls would not be free or fair.

President Uhuru Kenyatta said the election would proceed as planned, despite the withdrawal of his only challenger.

Both men’s announcements indefinitely prolong nearly three months of political uncertainty that has worried citizens and blunted growth in Kenya, East Africa’s biggest economy and a staunch Western ally in a region roiled by conflict.

An ally of Odinga called for nationwide protests from today, raising the prospect of clashes between police and protesters.

Odinga repeated previous criticism of the election board, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), for not replacing some officials, who he blamed for irregularities in the August poll.

Allied politicians standing alongside him called for a continuation of peaceful protests.

“There is no intention on the part of the IEBC to undertake any changes to its operations and parts of the personnel to ensure that the illegalities and irregularities that led to the invalidation of August 8 do not happen again,” Odinga said in Nairobi.

“We believe that all will be best served by [opposition alliance] NASA vacating the presidential candidature of elections.” – Reuters