At a lavish inauguration attended by the heads of many African nations, Kenyatta did his best to paint a picture of a country moving beyond that divide.<\/p>\n
But, he warned, Kenyans needed to \u201cfree ourselves from the baggage of past grievances, and … keep to the rule of law\u201d.<\/p>\n
Such words may ring hollow to citizens accustomed to the government ignoring reports on corruption from the country\u2019s auditor-general and documentation of hundreds of extrajudicial police killings every year from human rights groups.<\/p>\n
Last year, Kenyatta angered many Kenyans by saying he wanted to tackle corruption but his \u201chands are tied\u201d. His government has also promised to improve police accountability, but an independent watchdog has only ever managed convict two officers of murder despite thousands of brutality complaints.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, at least one Odinga supporter was killed and three others were injured, a Reuters witness said. Other witnesses said the man had been shot by the police.<\/p>\n
A statement from Odinga said five people were shot, including his daughter\u2019s driver.<\/p>\n
RIOT POLICE<\/h3>\n
Less than an hour after Kenyatta spoke, Kenyan national television carried pictures of riot police swinging clubs at civilians with their hands up.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t hear him (Kenyatta) say a single word on corruption and how he\u2019s going to fight it. I didn\u2019t hear anything on justice,\u201d said prominent anti-corruption campaigner Boniface Mwangi. \u201cWhen he says that there\u2019s the rule of law, his actions and the actions of his government show there\u2019s no rule of law.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kenyatta won a repeat presidential election on Oct. 26 that was boycotted by Odinga, who said it would not be free and fair. The Supreme Court nullified the first presidential election, in August, over irregularities.<\/p>\n
Supporters of Kenyatta – who won the October poll with 98 percent of the vote after Odinga\u2019s boycott – want the opposition to engage in talks and move on.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure Uhuru will be able to bring people together and unite them so we can all work for the country,\u201d said Eunice Jerobon, a trader who traveled overnight from the Rift Valley town of Kapsabet for the inauguration.<\/p>\n
But Odinga\u2019s supporters see such talk of unity as tantamount to surrender. Many of them are drawn from poorer parts of the country, and feel angered because they say they are locked out of power and the patronage it brings.<\/p>\n
Political arguments often have ethnic undercurrents, with Odinga\u2019s supporters pointing out that three of the country\u2019s four presidents have come from one ethnic group, the Kikuyu, although the country has 44 recognized groups.<\/p>\n
Odinga accuses the ruling party of stealing the election, overseeing rampant corruption, directing abuse by the security forces and neglecting vast swathes of the country, including Odinga\u2019s heartland in the west.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis election of October 26 is fake. We do not recognize it,\u201d Odinga told supporters from the rooftop of a car. \u201cOn Dec. 12, we will have an assembly that will swear me in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shortly after that, riot police teargassed his convoy and charged his supporters.<\/p>\n
LIVING STANDARDS<\/h3>\n
The opposition had planned to hold a prayer meeting in the capital on Tuesday, saying it wanted to commemorate the lives of Odinga supporters killed during confrontations with the security forces over the election period.<\/p>\n
More than 70 people have been killed in political violence this election season, mostly by the police. Such killings are rarely investigated and police are almost never prosecuted.<\/p>\n
Riot police sealed off the scene of the rally early in the morning, and fired teargas at residents, trying to prevent a crowd from gathering, as a helicopter hovered overhead. Several roads were blocked by burning tyres, rocks, glass and uprooted billboards.<\/p>\n
While Kenyatta\u2019s speech glossed over corruption and impunity of politicians and security officials, he promised to raise living standards by increasing jobs, home ownership, electricity connections and health insurance coverage.<\/p>\n
Heads of state from Somalia, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Zambia and other nations watched as Kenyatta gave a speech peppered with promises, including one to loosen restrictions on travel and owning property for other Africans.<\/p>\n
All Africans can now get visas on arrival in Kenya, and members of the East African community can own property, work and live in Kenya, Kenyatta said, adding \u201cto underscore Kenya\u2019s commitment to pan Africanism, this shall not be done on the basis of reciprocity\u201d.<\/p>\n
More than 60,000 Kenyatta supporters, many clad in the red and yellow Jubilee party colors and carrying Kenyan flags, filled the stadium benches.<\/p>\n
Thousands of others waited outside. Some, chafing at the restrictions, overwhelmed police and streamed in. Officers fired teargas to control them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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