Uhuru Kenyatta has been sworn in as President for a second term after receiving 98% of the vote in the election re-run on October 26, 2017
Uhuru Kenyatta has been sworn in as President for a second term after receiving 98% of the vote in the election re-run on October 26, 2017.
Supporters gathered in Nairobi’s Kasarani sports stadium to watch the inauguration, with music, dance performances and military parades providing entertainment.
A number of African leaders attended, including Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
President Kenyatta said he would work towards inclusivity and incorporate ideas from the opposition as a custodian of the dreams of all Kenyans.
Opposition leader Railia Odinga has mocked the inauguration as a “coronation”, saying that the result was not representative of the country’s wishes.
Less than 39% of voters turned out to vote in the re-run after Odinga called for a boycott.
Odinga announced that he has plans to be inaugurated as President himself next month, according to the BBC.
The original election on August 8, 2017 was annulled by the Supreme Court on ground of irregularities and ordered to be re-run.
Chief Justice David Maraga ruled it had not been conducted “in accordance with the constitution”, with the Supreme Court ruling it was neither transparent nor verifiable and therefore must be declared invalid.
Odinga said that no reforms to the electoral commission had been made since the original poll.
Chaotic scenes unfolded outside the stadium grounds during the inauguration, when police officers forced back people attempting to enter the stadium without seats using batons and tear gas.
According to AFP news agency, Kenyatta had promised big screens would be set up outside the stadium to broadcast the ceremony, but no such screens have been provided.
In other parts of the city, riot police clashed with opposition supporters who were trying to hold a rally.
It is a continuation of violence that has reportedly killed 50 people since the first election in August, 2017.
In a statement to the BBC, Odinga said that his party and supporters wanted to mourn those allegedly killed by police during protests following the second election, a claim denied by Kenyan police.
Read More: Kenya votes in contested election re-run as Commonwealth pulls out of observing role
