Kenyan Opposition Vows to Proceed With Odinga Swearing-In Plans

(Bloomberg) -- Kenya’s main opposition alliance said it will proceed with plans to swear-in Raila Odinga as the so-called people’s president as it reiterated calls for a national dialogue.

Odinga, leader of the National Super Alliance, will be sworn in on Jan. 30, David Ndii, a technical adviser to the group of parties, told reporters Thursday in the capital, Nairobi. A national convention is being planned that will unveil the opposition government’s leadership, he said.

“The swearing-in is a reclamation of the Nasa presidential election victory” of Aug. 8, Ndii said. A repeat vote held two months later was “a sham election and a coup on the people of Kenya.”

The nation held two presidential elections last year after the Supreme Court ruled the first vote in August was flawed. Nasa boycotted the second ballot in October after the country’s electoral commission failed to implement opposition recommendations to ensure a free and fair vote. Incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn in for a second term on Nov. 28.

After the October vote, Nasa called for the convening of a so-called People’s Assembly to push for fresh elections. The government has warned the formation of the assembly would be treasonous.

The alliance will hold a meeting on Friday in Machakos, 55 kilometers (34 miles) southeast of Nairobi, to discuss the assembly, Ndii said.

To contact the reporter on this story: David Herbling in Nairobi at dherbling@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Paul Richardson at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net, Helen Nyambura

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