Ethnic cleansing claims in Kenya’s ‘sham’ poll rerun

OFFICIALS in Kenya have called off a second attempt to hold elections in the country’s volatile west today amid opposition claims of a state plot to unleash ethnic “pogroms” against anti-government tribes in the region.

With opposition supporters erecting barricades to prevent the delivery of ballot boxes, officials said mounting insecurity had made it impossible to repeat voting in parts of four counties where voting failed to take place during Thursday’s presidential election.

As violence continued for a second day, President Uhuru Kenyatta’s hopes of reasserting authority over his divided country suffered a blow after provisional figures indicated that two thirds of Kenyans had chosen not to vote.

Mr Kenyatta took 96 per cent of votes cast, according to a tally of constituencies compiled by local media yesterday. His rival Raila Odinga refused to take part. The vote on Thursday was a rerun of an August election, in which Mr Kenyatta claimed victory before the result was overturned in a landmark decision by the supreme court.