Kenyan opposition leader calls himself president on Twitter

By Staff Reporter on January 30, 2018

Raila Odinga, the leader of Kenya’s opposing NASA Coalition, has declared himself the country’s president on his Twitter account.

The move comes soon after Mr Odinga was sworn in as “the people’s president” in Uhuru Park, Nairobi.

His title, which Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta considers treasonous, is a reference to Mr Odinga’s belief that he was the rightful winner of last year’s presidential election.

Kenyan authorities shut down TV stations to prevent live coverage of Mr Odinga’s swearing-in event, which was attended by thousands of people.

Speaking earlier to Kenyan broadcaster KTN, Mr Odinga said the media ban “confirms we have descended to the level of Uganda”, which stopped media coverage during elections in 2016.