Kenya extends TV station ban over Odinga 'inauguration'

Raila Odinga, center, with the now-arrested TJ Kajwang, center-right, during a mock "swearing-in" ceremony at Uhuru Park in downtown Nairobi on January 30 [File: Ben Curtis/The Associated Press]

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The government of Kenya has called a symbolic swearing in of opposition leader Raila Odinga a "well-choreographed attempt to subvert or overthrow" the government of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the interior ministry also said that it would keep three independent TV stations, which had planned to broadcast the event, off air pending investigation.

They said that broadcasting the event amounted to a "serious breach of security". 

Citizen, NTV and KTN TV were taken off the air by authorities on Tuesday over plans to cover the ceremony at Nairobi's Uhuru Park.
Also on Wednesday, local media reported that an opposition politician who had presided over the swearing-in had been arrested.
TJ Kajwang was said to have been taken to the headquarters of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Nairobi.