Kenya's president warns judiciary not to help opposition

Kenya's president has warned the country's judiciary 
not to help the opposition throw the next election into 
disarray.

The presidential poll will take place next month and 
Uhuru Kenyatta is seeking re-election.

On Friday, after a case brought by the opposition, the 
High Court ordered the electoral commission not to print ballot papers.

Mr Kenyatta insisted the election would go ahead as 
planned.

"This kind of intimidation will not be allowed and the 
election date will not change," he said.

He said the judiciary could not claim independence 
and then use it to interfere with the functioning of the executive and other arms of government.

The High Court argued that the tendering process for the ballot papers had not been transparent enough.

The opposition National Super Alliance (Nasa) alleged
 that the president had links to Al Ghurair, the Dubai-based firm that won the $24m (£18m) tender.

The judges ruled that the company could still print
 ballots for the parliamentary and county elections, but the tender for presidential ballots should be re-advertised.

Local media have reported that whoever takes on the 
job of printing and distributing the ballot papers will 
have just 30 days to do what is usually a 45-day task.

In a separate development, Raila Odinga, Mr Kenyatta's 
main contender, was taken ill and admitted to hospital on Sunday with what his campaign team said was suspected food poisoning.

Mr Odinga, speaking shortly after he was discharged 
from the hospital in the coastal city of Mombasa, said 
that he was "fit as a fiddle".

"I had stomach pains, which have since disappeared 
after getting treatment," Mr Odinga said, adding: "I have 
been discharged to go to Nairobi to continue with my campaigns."

Meanwhile, several people have reportedly been 
killed in clashes between rival political groups, rekindling memories of post- election violence in 2007-2008 that left more than 1,000 people dead.