07 December 2017•Update: 07 December 2017
By Magdalene Mukami
NAIROBI, Kenya
Opposition leader Raila Odinga was warned Thursday that he would be committing treason if he proceeds with a presidential “swearing in” ceremony next week.
Odinga, head of the National Super Alliance, plans to hold a “people’s president” inauguration ceremony on Tuesday after President Uhuru Kenyatta took office on Nov. 28 following a bitterly disputed election.
However, Attorney General Githu Muigai suggested to reporters that such an event would constitute treason.
“Suggesting to hold an unconstitutional and illegal ‘swearing in’ of the NASA presidential and deputy presidential candidates is in contravention of Article 3 of the constitution,” Muigai said.
He added: “Any person acting in violation of Article 3 (2) commits a treasonable offense under Section 40 of the penal code. This also includes being an accessory after the fact to treason.”
Kenya’s election crisis saw the Supreme Court nullify August’s results on the grounds of irregularities, following a legal challenge by the opposition.
An October re-run was boycotted by Odinga and his supporters as they called for electoral reform. Kenyatta won the second poll with more than 98 percent of the vote.
Earlier, Odinga had criticized the U.S. for failing to speak out against violence following the Aug. 8 election.
The U.S. is among the countries to advise Odinga against next week’s ceremony.
“We are saddened and shocked at the silence of our so-called friends of Kenya, who have never condemned the wanton killing of citizens, yet you have the audacity to come and advise us to forget and move on,” he said.
“We do not and we will not recognize the elections of Oct. 26.”
