Stop inauguration plans, the US tells Raila

NASA leader Raila Odinga told to stop inauguration plans. (Courtesy)

NAIROBI—The White House has called on opposition leader, Raila Odinga to seek power through constitutional means, saying otherwise would plunge the country into chaos.

President Donald Trump, through the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at the US governments Bureau of Africa Affairs Donald Yamamoto, said the hard stance taken by Raila Odinga would not do good for the stability of the country and the region.

“The United States also urges Opposition leaders to work within Kenya’s laws to pursue the reforms they seek and to avoid extra-constitutional actions such as the proposed ‘inauguration ceremony’ on December 12,” a statement released by the US embassy in Nairobi said after Yamamoto met with NASA team on Tuesday.

Raila Odinga is planning to hold inauguration ceremony on the 12th of December following the disputed presidential polls where his party, the National Super Alliance (NASA) boycotted citing irregularities in the final tally.

On Tuesday last week, President Uhuru Kenyatta, who the electoral commission declared the repeat presidential winner and the Supreme Court validated his victory, was inaugurated in an event attended by over 10 head of states and representatives.

The opposition has maintained that they would not recognized Uhuru as the validly elected president, saying the Supreme Court judges were intimidated.

Two weeks prior to the judgement and a week before the repeat polls were conducted, the official vehicle of the deputy Chief Justice Cleophas Mailu was attacked by a gunman on a motorcycle, injuring her bodyguard. The attacker was not apprehended nor an investigation launched to corner him.

“We again call for an immediate, sustained, open, and transparent national conversation involving all Kenyans to build national unity, address long-standing issues, and resolve the deep divisions that the electoral process has exacerbated,” the embassy statement added.

The Standard reported on Thursday that Mr. Yamamoto, the US ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec, and National Security Council Director for Africa Jonathan Howard have held separate meetings with Kenyan government officials, civil society representatives and Opposition leaders from December 4 – 6. On Wednesday, NASA strategic teams wrote to eleven counties who are perceived to be pro-NASA to offer inauguration