Why would President Uhuru Kenyatta meet his 'autocratic predecessor' ahead of the Supreme Court ruling? Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth has asked.
Uhuru visited former President Daniel Moi a visit at his Kabarak home in Nakuru county on Sunday ahead of the Court ruling on Monday.
Moi is considered to be Uhuru's political mentor after publicly endorsing him in the 2002 presidential bid on a Kanu ticket.
Also present during the meeting was Baringo Senator Gideon Moi, who has expressed interest in succeeding Uhuru when his term ends in 2022.
Focus is on Chief Justice David Maraga as Kenyans wait to see if the Court will uphold Uhuru's re-election or nullify it for a second time.
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"With Kenya’s Supreme Court about to rule on legitimacy of recent controversial election, and as violence threatens, why would Kenyatta choose now to visit his autocratic predecessor?" Roth tweeted.
Roth's post attracted mixed feelings from Kenyans on social media.
"President Moi was Kenya's Second Head of State. There is nothing wrong in visiting him. Supreme Court ruling does not stop other activities from going on," said State House director of digital communication Dennis Itumbi.
@DavidNjoroge08 said, "Keep off Kenyan affairs and Uhuru's Predecessor was Mwai Kibaki..get your facts right."
"He's referring to his predecessor in dictatorship," @Wangaiwazza said.
@salam_Africa said, "Why is the West so desperate for Kenya to fail? How does that serve you? Raila is a despot in the making and why the west supports him speaks volumes."
"Call him autocratic but we enjoyed peace and stability during his era. Plus he exited willingly unlike Mugabe," @GkJameson said.
@MuchiriWachera said, "Well.. Because (as unbelievable as it might seem) he is also human and can visit whomever, whenever he wants."
"Because he is the President of a sovereign state and can visit whoever he pleases," @mouz116 said.
'UHURU SEEKING GUIDANCE'
But other users said Uhuru went to look for 'tactics' on how to rule Kenya with tensions being widely reported.
Police fired teargas to disperse a crowd that was protesting on Sunday against the overnight murder of five people in Riverside.
Parts of Nairobi have been gripped by tension since Friday when at least five people were killed in violence involving the police and opposition supporters who were accompanying their leader Raila Odinga after a US trip.
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"He probably went to visit Former Pres.Moi for advise on how to deal with the chaos in Kenya now. Killings everyday,"@nicholas_muteti said.
@PrinceGabbu said "To seek guidance on how to rule by force."
"They had met to plan how to impose the "state of emergency" on us so that if the Supreme Court nullifies his clearly dented win, they can disregard the ruling and rule us by brute force," @McAnamsy said.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and retired president Daniel Moi in Kabarak, Nakuru on November 19,2017./PSCU
@MulwodoJOriaro said "How to become more ruthless. History is still fresh in our minds. Can't forget what we went through in Mombasa and Kilifi Districts (now counties) then in 1997...Moi is stuck in our hearts as a harmful despot."
"To shore up support from his main ethnic support bases, Mzee Moi commands one and has the resources...but our divisions run much deeper," @watibryan said.
@pietel00 said "For tutorial and notes of how to handle the aftermath."
The political crisis has stirred fears for the stability of Kenya, a regional hub for trade, diplomacy and security.
Kenya's prolonged election season has disrupted its economy.
Human rights groups say at least 66 people have died in bloodshed surrounding the August and October elections.
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