Kenyan president claims election win
Kenyatta declared victor amid continuing violence, allegations of vote rigging
NAIROBI, KENYA— President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner Friday of Kenya’s hard-fought presidential election, but opposition candidate Raila Odinga alleged the voting was rigged.
In announcing the results of Tuesday’s contest, the election commission said Kenyatta won a second term with 54 per cent in balloting it called “credible, fair and peaceful.”
Hundreds of riot police were in the streets of the capital, Nairobi, amid fears of further protests by opposition supporters, who called the vote a “charade” and said challenging the outcome in court wasn’t an option.
Kenyatta, the 55-year-old son of Kenya’s first president after independence from Britain, appealed for calm and unity.
He said he was extending a “hand of friendship” to “our older brother,” Odinga.
The election was a test of the stability of the East African economic power as many recalled the postelection bloodshed a decade ago that left more than 1,000 dead.
Kenya had been relatively calm since the election but had braced for possible violence Friday night with police in the central business district.
Gunshots and screams were heard in at least two areas of Kenya populated by Odinga supporters, according to police and a witness.
The election commission rejected claims by Odinga, a former prime minister, that its database was hacked and results manipulated against him. The long wait for election results increased tensions in the nation of 45 million people, though the commission by law had until next Tuesday to announce them. At least three people were killed in clashes between police and opposition supporters this week.
Odinga alleged that hackers infiltrated the election commission’s computer system in favour of his op- ponent. He claimed the hackers used the identity of Christopher Msando, an election official in charge of managing information technology systems. Officials had announced on July 31 that Msando had been tortured and killed.
The election commission said there was a hacking attempt but it failed, and that Odinga’s camp had no right to declare him as the winner.
Earlier Friday, the opposition said it had asked for access to the commission’s servers to confirm whether the alleged hacking took place. If granted, it said it would accept the results, even if they showed that Kenyatta won.
Kenyatta has not commented on Odinga’s allegations.