Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga decided not to stand in next week’s presidential election to avoid defeat rather than for reasons of principle, the deputy president said on Tuesday. “Odinga is running away from a humiliating defeat,” deputy president William Ruto told journalists. Odinga says the election board has failed to meet conditions to guarantee fairness, including firing key personnel he blamed for mistakes during the last poll. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said on Monday at least 33 people were killed in Nairobi during a police crackdown on opposition supporters after the August vote. A police spokesman said election board officials were attacked by “hooligans” in several towns in western Kenya on Tuesday and warned against interference with the board’s work.

Source: Egypt Independent October 17, 2017 14:03 UTC