Tension as Kenyan opposition leader announces resistance movement

Ahead of the Thursday repeat election in Kenya, there is heightened tension as opposition leader Raila Odinga has asked supporters to boycott the polls.

Odinga while addressing a group of cheering supporters asked Kenyans to also ask their friends to shun the election.

This is even as he declared that his opposition movement would be transformed into a resistance group against the government.

“From today we are transforming the NASA coalition into a resistance movement,” Odinga said at the Uhuru Park in the capital of Nairobi.

The opposition leader insisted that the new election should be held within 90 days.

In a related development, Anyang Nyong‘o the governor of Kisumu county, an opposition stronghold, has raised grave concerns about continuing with the election on Thursday.

The governor said people would be justified in rebellion if a presidential election goes ahead.

“If the government subverts the sovereign will of the people … then people are entitled to rebel against this government,” Anyang Nyong‘o told reporters on Wednesday.

An attempt to push the election date further suffered setback on Wednesday after many supreme court judges failed to show up to hear a petition to delay the poll.

The Kenyan election board, therefore, announced that the repeat election will go on as scheduled since the apex court was unable to rule on the petition.

“The elections as scheduled will go on tomorrow,” said Wafula Chebukati.

“In cases where there will be problems (delivering materials)… the polling officer will have the right to inform us and polling can be suspended to another day.”