Reporter's notebook on the Kenyatta inaugration

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"I Uhuru Kenyatta"…Boomed the voice through Microphone, across the 60,000 packed stadium.

"Yes Sir!" was the response from a section of the crowd, cheering on the President as he finally took the oath of office.

It had been three months since the country first went to the elections, a contest Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto felt they won fairly.

Kenya's Supreme Court, however, felt otherwise, citing irregularities and illegalities in the process conducted by the independent, Electoral and Boundaries commission.

Kenyatta would eventually win the repeat poll with about 98 percent of the vote after opposition leader Raila Odinga boycotted the contest, frustrated at a lack of electoral reforms.

A vendor sells badges of Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta, left, and his deputy William Ruto. /AFP Photo

On November 28, 2017, this day was all about Kenyatta and William Ruto, and their supporters, who had traveled from across the country to witness the occasion.

They had arrived in buses, motorcycles, on foot, decked out in caps, wearing T-shirts with the red, yellow and black colors, identifying with the ruling party Jubilee, whose Party symbol shows two hand clasped together as if in agreement.

By 6 a.m., tens of thousands of party stalwarts were outside the Kasarani Stadium, some 20 kilometers from Nairobi's central business district.

As police manned the traffic into the complex, the main security inside the stadium was manned by the military. Their commander in chief was about to be sworn in.

It would take the audience a good hour to finally gain entrance to the stadium, by then already half full.

What would happen to the thousands still hoping to gain entry, once the grounds were filled to capacity? I wondered.

People cheer as they wait for the ceremony to swear in Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta at Kasarani Stadium. /Reuters Photo

Playing on the speakers was a song by Bob Marley. Kenyatta is said to be a big fan of the late icon.

The crowd sang along, every so often breaking into a chant in Kiswahili, loosely translated, "It's not witchcraft, but prayers," a thinly veiled attack directed at the opposition.

Raila Odinga had been invited for the swearing in ceremony, but no one expected him to attend.

At 9:30 a.m., most dignitaries, members of the diplomatic corps had taken their seats. A Mexican wave was in full swing, interrupted only at the main dais where the VIPS were seated.

We could smell the tear gas, but nobody knew where it was coming from. It is only later we learnt there had been a stampede outside.

Police fire tear gas to try control a crowd trying to force their way into a stadium to attend the inauguration of President Uhuru Kenyatta at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi. /Reuters Photo

From what I could piece together, once the stadium was full, police tried to close the gates, but the army of people kept pushing and some officer fired teargas to disperse them. Thankfully no one lost their lives.

Back inside, the microphone crackled one more time, focus shifted to the screens in the stadium, as a loud cheer rang across the grounds.

The deputy president, driven in a black SUV had arrived. He was followed in quick succession by Presidents of South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Somalia, Gabon, Botswana and Ethiopia.

At midday, the noise in the stadium increased tenfold as President Uhuru Kenyatta's vehicle made its way into the grounds.

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta gestures as he arrives at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi where he will be sworn in as president. /Reuters Photo

As his SUV drove around the stadium, euphoria greeted him. He seemed overwhelmed. Jubilee part supporters are not the most enthusiastic. Today, however, was different.

After the guard of honor, he made his way to the dais, dishing out his characteristic enthusiastic handshake to the other leaders.

After taking his place next to the first lady, the ceremony begun with inter-domination prayers. She would hold the constitution and the bible as Kenyatta first took the oath of allegiance to the constitution followed by the oath of office

Once Kenyatta and Ruto had taken their oaths, the military had their commander in Chief, Kenya had its President.

Across town, however, the atmosphere was different. Instead of celebration, it was confrontation between Police and opposition supporters

The opposition leader was teargassed as he tried to address his supporters. At least three people including a seven-year-old boy were shot dead.

The opposition leader declared he would be sworn in by the people on December 12 and march on to state house.

That date, December 12, is significant because it is when Kenya attained independence from the British colonial government.

The party, it seems, is on hold for Kenyatta, his first major crisis, barely hours into the job. How he handles it may very well determine his legacy.

9225km