More than 20 heads of state or senior ministers are expected to attend.

Opposition leader, Raila Odinga, who boycotted a re-run of the presidential poll, has called for a protest rally, despite a police ban.

August’s presidential election was annulled by the Supreme Court over what it called “irregularities”.

The re-run, on 26 October, saw Mr Kenyatta win 98% of the vote with a turnout of just under 39%.

Ceremony amid deep divisions

Tuesday’s ceremony at a sports stadium in Nairobi is due to get under way at 10:00 local time (07:00 GMT).

Organisers are expecting about 60,000 people to fill the venue and giant screens have been set up outside for those unable to get in.

President Kenyatta’s deputy, William Ruto, will also be sworn in.

Among the foreign leaders expected to attend will be Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

The Kenyan opposition coalition has called on its supporters to boycott the inauguration and instead hold a rally in memory of people killed in clashes since August’s election.

The police have warned the coalition against holding the event.

Why was there an election re-run?

Kenya’s Supreme Court took the unprecedented decision to annul the 8 August presidential election and demand a new poll in September citing “irregularities and illegalities”.

Chief Justice David Maraga said the election had not been “conducted in accordance with the constitution” and declared it “invalid, null and void”.

The court said the result was “neither transparent nor verifiable”.

Mr Odinga then urged his supporters to boycott the second vote because he said no reforms had been made to the electoral commission since the original poll.

However the re-run went ahead in October and the Supreme Court has since validated the results, but correspondents say the election dispute has left Kenya deeply divided.

What has happened since the first vote?

The aftermath of both polls has been fraught with tension and Mr Kenyatta will face an uphill task in uniting a fractured nation.

About 50 people are reported to have been killed in violence since Mr Kenyatta was declared the winner in the initial August election.

Raila Odinga told his supporters that “a third liberation is coming soon”

Mr Odinga, who went away on a 10-day speaking tour in Europe and America after withdrawing from the election re-run, has called for a “national resistance movement” to “restore democracy”.

Speaking earlier this month, Mr Odinga said: “Today is the day we are launching Kenya as a third republic.

“What you have seen is a signal that a third liberation is coming soon,” he added.

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Source: BBC

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The ceremony will take place at the main stadium in the country’s capital, Banjul.

This comes after President Barrow was sworn into office as The Gambia’s third President in The Gambian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, following long-time ruler Yahya Jammeh’s refusal to step down despite his electoral defeat.

Yahya Jammeh eventually stepped down under pressure from ECOWAS and the AU, and is in exile in Equatorial Guinea.

President Barrow’s inauguration today also coincides with the 52nd Independence Anniversary of the small West African Country.

Former President John Mahama was an ECOWAS Co-Mediator in the efforts towards resolving the election dispute that followed the December 01, 2016 election.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Archbishop Duncan-Williams gave the Opening Prayer at the service in the presence of President Donald Trump, Vice President Michael Pence, their families, close friends and colleagues at the St. John’s church in Washington DC.

The pair were sworn in afterwards on the steps of the Capitol by the Chief Justice of the United States of America.

The service is known to be a tradition for incoming presidents on the morning of a presidential inauguration, dating back to 1933 when Franklin Delano Roosevelt attended a service with his wife, Eleanor.

The Archbishop in a tweet said he was “honoured to have led the new US administration in a prayer session ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration.”

Honored to have led the new US administration in a prayer session ahead of @realDonaldTrump‘s inauguration. Praise God! https://t.co/0Pq24n8MR3

— N. Duncan-Williams (@ArchbishopNick) January 20, 2017

Trump’s Vice President, Mike Pence, tweeted a photo of the Archbishop leading prayer.

The tweet had the caption, “We begin this historic and humbling day as we do every day, with a moment of reflection and prayer. #InaugurationDay.”

We begin this historic and humbling day as we do every day, with a moment of reflection and prayer. #InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/sfJkGktFpe

— Mike Pence (@mike_pence) January 20, 2017

In opening the service, Archbishop Duncan-Williams, the General Overseer of Action Chapel International headquartered in Ghana, noted the sovereignty of God stating: “you rule in the affairs of men and give the Kingdom to whomsoever you will…We pray that you will give [President Trump, Vice President Pence, their families and the Cabinet] divine fortitude and wisdom above that of Solomon and command divine escapes from unexpected and unforeseen crisis and challenges.”

Archbishop Duncan-Williams, was joined on the program by globally respected US clergy leaders including Senior Pastor Jentezen Franklin; Pastor Mark Burns; Jerry Falwell, Jr; Rev. James Robison; Dr. James Dobson; Rev. Dr. Luis Leon; among others.

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By: Jeffrey Owuraku Sarpong/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Jammeh’s tenure which expires by midnight today, Wednesday, has been extended by 90 days by Gambia’s Parliament while a state of emergency has also been declared in the country.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, BBC correspondent, Umaru Fofana currently in Gambia said Barrow’s inauguration might not happen.

[contextly_sidebar id=”wWfdKTY8BVlWwrnnjGTa8My5VLN2Kef7″]“To be honest everything seems to be up in the air, nobody is sure what will happen in the next minute… By midnight tonight, his [Jammeh’s] tenure should end, but Parliament extended his mandate yesterday, the legitimacy of that is being challenged. The opposition collation assured me that they will go ahead with their inauguration tomorrow but that was before the state of emergency declaration. Due to the emergency declaration, large gatherings will not be allowed and I honestly can’t see how an inauguration ceremony will go ahead tomorrow with a state of emergency,” he opined.

The country is currently facing a political crisis because Mr. Jammeh who was defeated in the country’s polls held in December 2016 and after conceding defeat has now rejected the results and thus challenging it in court.

However, the court is expected to rule on the matter in May 2017.

Nigeria’s Warship

There were reports that Nigeria has dispatched a warship to Gambia following the political crisis but Fofana said “at this moment, the Nigerian military source told the BBC that they were not coming to fire any shot at least for a start.”

“If there is cooperation it will end that way but we are not sure what is happening,” he added.

Tourists exit Gambia

The BBC reporter also said on the Citi Breakfast Show that scores of tourists are leaving the country following the declaration of the state of emergency.

“Since last night tourist have been streaming out of the country since that emergency declaration. As I speak with you now, I can see a lot of European tourists at my hotel leaving the country. But the place is still calm.”

ECOWAS, AU fail to convince Jammeh to step down

Several talks between Jammeh, ECOWAS and AU leaders in a bid to have him step down failed.

The ECOWAS delegation was made up of Ghana’s former President John Mahama, Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari and Liberia’s Ellen Sirleaf Johnson.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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This he said was because Akufo-Addo who is also the leader of the NPP failed to condemn the attacks and call the people perpetrating such act to order.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Jc7mVhmcDQLInQFE9VGnbLYW1MhqDQ7c”]“Nana Addo and his party people are justifying what is happening and I’ve not heard him speak. He spoke only before his swearing in and now after that it became even worse. Before he was sworn in…John Boadu’s comment on air was even stronger than even the president elect and that is what motivated them, the day he took his oath that they acted more,” he said on Eyewitness News last Friday.

Some youth believed to be sympathizers of the NPP have recently been on rampage; taking over some state properties and institutions including the Ghana Ports and Habours Authority, the Ashaiman assembly and tollbooths.

Two NDC loyalist died after election

According to Kofi Adams, two of NDC loyalists have lost their lives through such attacks.

He said, “we [NDC] have buried two people as a result of post-election violence in Sefwi Wiawso and Dunkwa. They were NDC people who were attacked NPP members after the elections.”

The NDC Organiser further expressed disappointment at the acting National Chairman of the NPP, Freddy Blay for justifying the attacks.

Kofi Adams said the NPP’s security group, known as the Invisible Forces beat up a police officer on duty at the Flagstaff House.

“You have these people move not just to toll booths and other places but even to the flagstaff house, beat up uniformed persons and tear up their clothes and then claim they [Invisible forces] are in charge.” “I heard their acting National Chairman saying people are clearing goods without paying duty and so they have to go and protect those things. I am not aware of Customs officer who is not working to make the Invisible forces go and protect the place,” Kofi Adams said.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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According to the NPP, over 11 heads of states from other countries, as well as 13 other government representatives and multinationals, are also expected to grace the event which will be held at the Black Star Square in Accra.

Addressing the press on preparations for the upcoming inauguration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Co-chairperson of the inauguration subcommittee of the Transition Team, said preparations are far advanced for hosting the numerous dignitaries in the country.

“We will be receiving about 11 heads of states and governments, two vice presidents, 13 government representatives, five international representatives of multilateral organizations, and a number of ex-presidents from West Africa and other parts of the world. Let me add that this is not expected to be the final figure; we will have a final figure about 24 hours to the event,” she noted.

Guest of honour

Ayorkor Botchway also disclosed that, presidents from other African countries including Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea, Togo, Benin, Gabon, Zambia have all confirmed their attendance at the event.

“Also, we will have prime ministers from Ethiopia and a couple of other countries,” she noted.

January 7 preparation about 80% complete

President John Mahama’s second term bid was halted by the New Patriotic Party’s Nana Akufo-Addo following his defeat in the December 7 polls, and is expected to hand over power to the latter on January 7.

According to the spokesperson of the NPP on the Transition Team, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, about 80 percent of the work pertaining to Saturday’s inauguration ceremony has been completed.

He earlier told Citi News that “we are done with about 80 percent of everything we need to do.”

He also revealed at the news conference that about 5,000 security personnel are expected to be deployed for the event.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey & Sixtus Don Ullo/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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