Contentious quotes upend Kenya presidential vote

[March 02, 2013]  NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- Kenya's top two presidential candidates are holding their final rally before the country votes on Monday.

Thousands of people gathered Saturday at two different downtown Nairobi locations to hear Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister Raila Odinga speak

The campaigns were upended Saturday after the Financial Times quoted Odinga as saying his rivals are planning to rig the election and that the consequences of a rigging "may be worse than the last time." More than 1,000 people were killed in postelection violence after Kenya's 2007 vote.

A statement from Odinga said the candidate denied talking about violence in the interview and said he felt "absolutely slandered" by the story.

Kenyatta's camp condemned the interview and called Odinga's quoted words dangerous and inflammatory.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.