Once again, Kenya delays election in some areas over risk of violence

NAIROBI, (Reuters) - Kenyan authorities said yesterday they would indefinitely delay further attempts to hold a repeat presidential election in some areas due to the risk of violence, as the opposition rejected the re-run as “a sham” and said the polls should be cancelled.

The east African nation had been due to hold elections on Saturday in four western counties, after residents blocked roads and clashed with police on during an attempt to hold the polls there on Thursday. But those plans have been largely put on hold, the election board said.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga pulled out of the contest earlier this month, saying the contest against President Uhuru Kenyatta was not going to be fair.

He urged supporters not to take part in the vote and polling stations were unable to open in his strongholds in the west of the country on Thursday.

In the rest of Kenya, most polling stations were able to open, but turnout was below 35 percent and there were clashes in Nairobi slums and in the coastal city of Mombasa.

Kenyatta has won over 97 percent of votes counted so far, according to a local media tally, but the poor turnout has damaged his second-term mandate.

Pockets of violence continued on Friday, with police saying they shot dead one man, bringing to five the number of confirmed deaths since voting began on Thursday. All were killed in the west of the country, which supports the opposition.

In the Nairobi slum of Kawangware, a Reuters witness saw nearly 100 youths armed with machetes in red T-shirts - the colour of the ruling party - as a group of opposition supporters clashed with police. A large fire burned nearby.