Kenya awaits election results amid deadly violence, vote hacking claims
Police open fire to disperse rioters
NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan police opened fire Wednesday to disperse rioters in several areas after presidential challenger Raila Odinga alleged election fraud, saying hackers used the identity of a murdered official to infiltrate the database of the election commission and manipulate results in favor of President Uhuru Kenyatta. At least three people were killed.
As Mr. Kenyatta held a strong lead in provisional results with nearly all polling stations counted, election officials were verifying the final tallies. It was unclear how long it would take, though by law election officials have up to a week from Tuesday’s election to announce the results.
Soon after Mr. Odinga claimed on television that the election had been rigged, angry protesters in the Nairobi slum of Mathare and poor areas in the opposition stronghold of Kisumu in the southwest burned tires, set up roadblocks and clashed with police.
Two people were shot dead in Nairobi as they took advantage of the protests to loot, Nairobi police Chief Japheth Koome said. An Associated Press photographer said one was shot in the head. Police killed one person when they opened fire on protesters in another opposition stronghold in Kisii County, said Leonard Katana, a regional police commander.
Many parts of Kenya, East Africa’s commercial hub, were calm a day after the elections for president and more than 1,800 other posts down to the county level. But the violence stirred memories of the unrest that followed the 2007 vote in which more than 1,000 people were killed. Mr. Odinga lost that election. He also lost the 2013 vote to Mr. Kenyatta and took allegations of vote-tampering to the Supreme Court, which rejectedhis case.
Mr. Odinga, a former prime minister, blamed Mr. Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party for the alleged hacking of the election database.
“The fraud Jubilee has perpetuated on Kenyans surpasses any level of voter theft in our country’s history. This time we caught them,” he tweeted. He also posted online what he said were computer logs proving his allegation.
Mr. Odinga claimed that hackers used the identity of Christopher Msando, an election official in charge of managing information technology systems. On July 31, officials announced that Mr. Msando had been tortured and killed, alarming Kenyans who feared a recurrence of political violence fueled by ethnic divisions.
A Tuesday morning entry in the purported computer logs that Mr. Odinga posted on Facebook reads: “Login failed for user ‘msando’. Reason: The password of the account must be changed.”
Rafael Tuju, a top official in Mr. Kenyatta’s party, said the opposition’s claims were unfounded, and Kenya’s election commission said it will investigate Mr. Odinga’s allegations.
In the city of Kisumu, police used tear gas and shot at protesters who were upset after Mr. Odinga’s fraud allegations, said demonstrator Sebastian Omolo.
“He is not accepting the results and that is why we are on the streets, but police have started shooting,” Mr. Omolo said.
Kisumu shopkeeper Festus Odhiambo said he was praying for peace even as protesters blocked roads into city slums with bonfires and boulders.
The western port city on Lake Victoria has been a flashpoint in past elections.
Kenya’s interior minister, Fred Matiangi, warned against the use of social media to stoke tensions. Officials have said it was unlikely they would shut down the internet but said they might shut down some social media if necessary to calm hate speech and incitement.
“We assure Kenyans and all residents, the country is safe,” said Mr. Matiangi. “I urge everyone to go on freely with their daily chores.”