Kenya's veteran politician Raila Odinga has been confirmed as the main opposition coalition's presidential candidate for August's election.

Mr Odinga, 72, is set to face incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta, the man who beat him in 2013.

This will be the fourth time Mr Odinga runs for president.

He also ran in the disputed 2007 poll. The violence that followed led to the creation of a unity government in which Mr Odinga served as prime minister.

Mr Odinga will represent the National Super Alliance (Nasa), which is a coalition of the country's main opposition parties including the candidate's Orange Democratic Movement.

The announcement was made at a rally at Uhuru Park in the capital, Nairobi.

Thousands of opposition supporters turned up and live video footage from the rally showed them breaking out into wild cheers as Mr Odinga's name was read out.

His running mate will be former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka.

In a statement, President Kenyatta described the Nasa nominations as "about giving jobs [to the politicians] instead of the millions of Kenyans who need jobs".

Mr Odinga is trying to run on an anti-corruption message and is also emphasising that he is the candidate of national unity, says the BBC's Dickens Olewe.

President Kenyatta says that Kenya has achieved a lot of economic development under his government and he has managed to increase opportunities for the country's large youthful population.

Source:
courtesy of BBC NEWS

by BBC NEWS

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