Raila to Hold Parallel Event at Uhuru Park during President Uhuru's Inauguration

The National Super Alliance (NASA) is set to hold a parallel mega rally at Nairobi's Uhuru Park grounds as President Uhuru Kenyatta's swearing-in ceremony takes place at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Tuesday.

In a program released by NASA on Friday, a fundraiser will be held at Laico Legency Hotel on Friday evening to raise cash for victims killed and injured by police last week.

On Saturday, NASA leaders will hold a mini People's Assembly gathering in Machakos County. The leaders will attend church services in Nairobi on Sunday and memorial services at separate venues across the country to mourn police brutality victims on Monday, before holding a mega Rally at Uhuru Park on Tuesday.

This means that opposition leader Raila Odinga has turned down an invitation by President Uhuru to attend his inauguration. On Friday, State House Chief of Staff Joseph Kinyua said Raila and the six presidential candidates in the last election have been invited to the fete.

“The seven other presidential candidates and their running mates in the last presidential election have been invited for the ceremony,” Kinyua told journalists at Kasarani on Friday.

Kinyua further appealed on NASA to abandon the parallel event they are planning to hold.

"As a people who would want us to move together as one, we will plead that it is not necessary to have any other public function that day. We can bring out the issues we want discussed later. We should all work towards a cohesive, united Kenyan society, " said Kinyua.