Kenyan President Sworn In After Months of Electoral Turmoil

Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of Kenya, began his second term on Tuesday, December 7, by taking the oath of office. Some hope that this ceremony will end months of electoral turmoil, which Mr. Kenyatta himself described as a 'threat to the country's collapse.' However, violence continued, and during police shootings and tear gas deployment to disperse opposition protests, at least one person was killed. According to the Associated Press, as the new Kenyan president was being sworn in, police forces in various parts of Nairobi attempted to prevent a gathering of opponents commemorating dozens of victims of police and militia attacks. An eyewitness reported that one person was shot dead, and Raila Odinga, one of the opposition leaders who described Mr. Kenyatta's presidency as 'illegitimate,' was forced to flee in a car from the police assault on the protesters. A video recorded by the Associated Press shows demonstrators fleeing the scene upon hearing gunfire and witnessing police officers attacking people with batons. Some people tried to wash their eyes from tear gas by splashing water on their faces. Uhuru Kenyatta, while addressing his supporters in a stadium, stated that the past months have been a 'defining period' and called for an end to hatred and division. He criticized the Supreme Court's annulment of the August election results in which he had won, saying, 'Although we were told that the electoral process is more important than your votes, we complied with this ruling.' However, he added that the Supreme Court acted independently and recent events show that 'our constitution is not just a piece of paper, and government institutions should not be destroyed whenever they do not issue a favorable ruling.' The electoral events in Kenya, which is the economic hub of East Africa, caused months of instability and turmoil. Following Raila Odinga's complaint, the Supreme Court annulled the August election results citing legal violations in the voting process and ordered a re-election. This was the first time a Supreme Court in an African country annulled election results, and leaders and opposition politicians in other African countries closely followed the events in Kenya. Raila Odinga and his supporters boycotted the re-election held last month. On Tuesday, many government opponents accepted his invitation and participated in a gathering to commemorate the victims of recent violent incidents. The Associated Press adds that human rights organizations have repeatedly accused the Kenyan government of using police force to suppress dissent. Raila Odinga described the Kenyan president's swearing-in ceremony as a 'coronation' and stated that Mr. Kenyatta is a dictator. He promised to fight for new elections while praising the resilience of the Kenyan people in recent months. Several African leaders attended Uhuru Kenyatta's swearing-in ceremony, which was held under heavy security measures. Mr. Kenyatta's new presidential term may mark the beginning of normalizing the situation in Kenya, although questions and opposition regarding the country's electoral law remain unanswered. Mr. Kenyatta swore on the Bible, which his father, Jomo Kenyatta, the first president of Kenya after independence in 1963, had sworn on. The rivalry between Mr. Kenyatta and Raila Odinga, the son of the country's first vice president, has been ongoing for years.