<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="489" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/LMLR2LON6FLMXMZMDMQLQSY7U4-820x489.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419525" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/LMLR2LON6FLMXMZMDMQLQSY7U4-820x489.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/LMLR2LON6FLMXMZMDMQLQSY7U4-300x179.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/LMLR2LON6FLMXMZMDMQLQSY7U4-151x90.jpg 151w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/LMLR2LON6FLMXMZMDMQLQSY7U4-768x458.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/LMLR2LON6FLMXMZMDMQLQSY7U4.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Voters stand inside voting booths during the general elections conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya August 9, 2022. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Aug 30 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Kenya&#8217;s Supreme Court on Tuesday laid out eight questions it will answer when it rules on this month&#8217;s disputed presidential election result, including whether the commission&#8217;s website was hacked.



Opposition leader Raila Odinga, who is seeking the presidency for the fifth time, is contesting the result of a tight vote after which the election commission chairman declared Deputy President William Ruto the winner. Four out of the seven commissioners disowned the result.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3050TO&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The disagreement has raised fears it could trigger the type of violence that followed disputed polls in 2007 and 2017.



Odinga&#8217;s legal team lodged a case alleging that a team working for Ruto hacked into the election system and replaced genuine pictures of polling station result forms with fake ones, thus increasing Ruto&#8217;s share.



Ruto denied the allegations. The election commission has filed competing responses, with three commissioners supporting the process and four questioning it.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-kenya-s-odinga-says-he-won-election-but-will-respect-court-ruling">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/kenyas-odinga-says-he-won-election-but-will-respect-court-ruling/">Kenya’s Odinga says he won election, but will respect court ruling</a></h3>



The Supreme Court will also decide if the polling station returns were interfered with and whether the postponement of eight gubernatorial and legislative elections disadvantaged any candidate, said Chief Justice Martha Koome, the president of the seven-member court.



Kenya is a key western ally in an unstable region and it hosts the regional headquarters of many global companies and organisations.



The court, whose decision on presidential election petitions is final, will also consider if there were unexplained disparities in votes cast for presidential and other downballot races like for members of parliament, she said. It will also decide if the tallying of presidential votes met the constitutional standards.



The court will also decide if Ruto attained the constitutional threshold of 50% plus one of the votes cast, Koome said, and whether any irregularities were substantial enough to nullify the poll.



The court will issue its verdict on those questions on Monday.



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri, Editing by Katharine Houreld and Ed Osmond)

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Kenya’s top court to rule on hacking allegations, votes disparity in election dispute

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="728" height="498" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/TDTLKA7ITRJVXFCMNYIE5KYYCI.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419493" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/TDTLKA7ITRJVXFCMNYIE5KYYCI.jpg 728w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/TDTLKA7ITRJVXFCMNYIE5KYYCI-300x205.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/TDTLKA7ITRJVXFCMNYIE5KYYCI-132x90.jpg 132w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px" /><figcaption>Kenya&#8217;s opposition leader and presidential candidate Raila Odinga, of the Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) One Kenya Alliance, speaks during a Reuters interview in Nairobi, Kenya August 29, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Aug 29 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, who is contesting this month&#8217;s election result, said he will respect the ruling of the court and fight corruption in the opposition if needed &#8211; but still believes he should be declared the winner.



A week ago, Odinga&#8217;s legal team lodged a case in the Supreme Court alleging that a team working for Deputy President William Ruto hacked into the election system and replaced genuine pictures of polling station result forms with fake ones, thus increasing Ruto&#8217;s share of the vote.



Ruto denied the allegations. The election commission has split and filed competing responses: four commissioners disowned the result, and the chairman and two others supported it.



The court must rule by Sept. 5.



(Reporting by Katherine Houreld; Editing by Nick Macfie)

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Kenya’s Odinga says he won election, but will respect court ruling

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="501" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/download-50.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419363" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/download-50.jpg 800w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/download-50-300x188.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/download-50-144x90.jpg 144w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/download-50-768x481.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption>FILE PHOTO: Kenya&#8217;s Chief Justice Martha Koome addresses members of the Judiciary during a reception after her Swearing-in ceremony, outside the Supreme Court building in Nairobi, Kenya May 21, 2021. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Aug 22 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;In a country once known for political interference in the judiciary, Kenya&#8217;s Chief Justice Martha Koome is no pushover: she built her career defending dissidents, and this year her court torpedoed constitutional changes proposed by the president who appointed her.



But her own reputation for independence and fairness is on trial after opposition leader Raila Odinga filed a Supreme Court case on Monday seeking to overturn the results of the Aug. 9 presidential election.



The election commission is split: the chairman announced that Deputy President William Ruto won by about 233,000 votes, but four out of the seven commissioners dissented, saying results were not aggregated correctly. Kenya&#8217;s largest civil society election observation group says its count supports the chairman.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2ZS0HB&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Any perceived misstep in the ruling by Koome or the six judges she presides over could damage public faith in the judiciary and imperil the peaceful transfer of power in East Africa&#8217;s richest and most stable nation.



The dispute has raised tensions in a nation with a history of deadly election disputes.



&#8220;We urge the judiciary to remain an impartial arbiter,&#8221; the Angaza Movement, a Kenyan civic and human rights consortium, said on Friday, adding the &#8220;tranquillity and peace of the nation&#8221; depended upon it.



The stakes are also high for the judges themselves: when Kenya&#8217;s Supreme Court nullified the 2017 election results, judges faced a torrent of abuse, were called &#8220;crooks&#8221; by the president and one of their bodyguards was shot and injured.



Koome, appointed in May 2021 by outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, has a reputation for integrity.



Months after her appointment, she quashed broad constitutional reforms backed by both Odinga and Kenyatta, which were widely seen as an attempt to sideline Ruto. Kenyatta fell out with Ruto after the 2017 elections and formed an alliance with Odinga.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL2N2VY0CZ&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Koome&#8217;s ruling prompted praise even from critics like Ahmednasir Abdullahi, a lawyer who has frequently questioned Koome&#8217;s independence and who supports Ruto.



&#8220;On the whole, good judgment by the Supreme Court,&#8221; he tweeted, praising Koome and a second judge for being &#8220;outstanding in their reasoning&#8221;.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenging-power">CHALLENGING POWER</h2>



In 2017, the Supreme Court became the first African court to scrap the re-election victory of a sitting president, after it annulled on procedural grounds results giving Kenyatta a second term. Kenyatta won the rerun after Odinga boycotted it.



Four of those judges remain on the Court. The chief justice retired and Koome replaced him.



Koome &#8211; who has 34 years of legal experience &#8211; cut her teeth representing political detainees like Odinga when he protested against state repression in the 1980s and 90s.



In Odinga&#8217;s stronghold of Kisumu, faith in the courts helps keep protesters off the streets.



&#8220;Many years ago … courts seemed to be controlled by the government. But today&#8217;s courts have come out to be more independent,&#8221; said carpenter Meshack Nyamema.



Koome, 62, is already a trailblazer: her appointment made her the first female head of any Kenyan branch of government. She often discusses her Christianity and liberal social views.



One of 18 children from a polygamous family of subsistence farmers, Koome co-founded and chaired the Federation of Women Lawyers. It campaigns for women&#8217;s rights, offers poor women free legal services and contributed to a landmark 2010 constitution that guaranteed women new rights.



In another departure from orthodoxy, in 2019 she supported a ruling that it was not illegal to identify as gay. Gay sex is punishable by 14 years in jail.



This May, Koome used a national prayer breakfast to warn against settling election disputes on the streets.



&#8220;I pray for those who might be tempted to divide our nation for their selfish reasons,&#8221; she said. &#8220;This country belongs to everyone, and not just politicians.&#8221;



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Additional reporting by Ayenat Mersie; Editing by Katharine Houreld, William Maclean)

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Kenya’s first female chief justice to preside over election petition

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/P7NJKCQO4BOB5EPZOKWQA3NVIQ-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419359" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/P7NJKCQO4BOB5EPZOKWQA3NVIQ-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/P7NJKCQO4BOB5EPZOKWQA3NVIQ-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/P7NJKCQO4BOB5EPZOKWQA3NVIQ-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/P7NJKCQO4BOB5EPZOKWQA3NVIQ-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/P7NJKCQO4BOB5EPZOKWQA3NVIQ.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Kenya&#8217;s opposition leader Raila Odinga of the Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) One Kenya Alliance, who competed in Kenya&#8217;s presidential election, gestures, after addressing the nation following the announcement of the results of the presidential election, in Nairobi, Kenya August 16, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Aug 22 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Kenya&#8217;s veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga filed a challenge to the results of this month&#8217;s presidential election in the Supreme Court on Monday, his legal team said, sharpening a political clash that has gripped East Africa&#8217;s powerhouse.



&#8220;What we did this morning is to file the online copy,&#8221; lawyer Daniel Maanzo told Kenyan television channel. &#8220;After today there will be four days for the other parties to reply.&#8221;



A source at the judiciary confirmed they had received a copy of the file.



Last week the election commissioner declared Deputy President William Ruto had won the election by a slim margin, but four out of seven election commissioners dissented, saying the tallying of results had not been transparent.



Last week Odinga said the results were a &#8220;travesty&#8221; but said he would settle the dispute in court and urged supporters to remain peaceful.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2ZS0HB&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



This is Odinga&#8217;s fifth stab at the presidency; he blamed several previous losses on rigging. Those disputes triggered violence that claimed more than 100 lives in 2017 and more than 1,200 lives in 2007.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/kenya-election-officials-disown-presidential-election-results/">Kenya election officials disown presidential election results</a></h3>



In 2017, the Supreme Court overturned the election result and ordered a re-run, which Odinga boycotted, saying he had no faith in the election commission.



This time, Odinga is backed by the political establishment. President Uhuru Kenyatta endorsed Odinga&#8217;s candidacy after falling out with Ruto after the last election.



At stake is control of East Africa&#8217;s wealthiest and most stable nation, home to regional headquarters for firms like General Electric, Google, and Uber. Kenya also provides peacekeepers for neighbouring Somalia and frequently hosts peace talks for other nations in the turbulent East Africa region.



The case will be heard by the seven-member Supreme Court and presided over by Martha Koome, Kenya&#8217;s first female chief justice, who was appointed by Kenyatta last year.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2ZV1LN&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The court will next conduct a status conference with all parties to define the hearing schedule and ground rules. The constitution requires judges to issue their decision within 14 days of the lawsuit being filed.



Due to the tight schedule, it normally issues a summary judgment within 14 days, followed by more thorough decisions from each of the seven judges at a later date.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-dispute">THE DISPUTE</h2>



One week ago, electoral commission chairman Wafula Chebukati declared Ruto the winner with 50.49% of the vote against Odinga&#8217;s 48.5%.



But minutes earlier, his deputy Juliana Cherera had told media at a separate location that she and three other commissioners disowned the results.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2ZR0DS&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



She said the elections had been conducted in a proper manner &#8211; and most international observers agreed &#8211; but that results were erroneously aggregated.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2ZS0HB&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Public confusion reigned over the tallying after the Kenyan media suspended a count of 46,229 polling-station level results with around 80% of the vote counted.



The election commission&#8217;s website still does not display the correct forms for all 291 constituencies. In some cases, the form is incomplete or only partially loaded, making it impossible for the public to confirm the commission&#8217;s count.



The legal procedure for contesting Kenyan election results<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/legal-procedure-contesting-kenyan-election-results-2022-08-16/">https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/legal-procedure-contesting-kenyan-election-results-2022-08-16/</a>



(Additional reporting by Duncan Miriri, Humphrey Malalo and Edwin Waita; Editing by Toby Chopra, William Maclean)

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Kenya’s Odinga challenges presidential poll result in Supreme Court

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/B3MUXY3VX5PSPMO6BW7Z6FDNFY-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419267" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/B3MUXY3VX5PSPMO6BW7Z6FDNFY-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/B3MUXY3VX5PSPMO6BW7Z6FDNFY-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/B3MUXY3VX5PSPMO6BW7Z6FDNFY-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/B3MUXY3VX5PSPMO6BW7Z6FDNFY-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/B3MUXY3VX5PSPMO6BW7Z6FDNFY.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Kenya&#8217;s Deputy President William Ruto and presidential candidate for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Kenya Kwanza political coalition, speaks after being declared the winner of Kenya&#8217;s presidential election, at the IEBC National Tallying Centre at the Bomas of Kenya, in Nairobi, Kenya August 15, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Aug 17 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Kenya&#8217;s president-elect William Ruto said on Wednesday there was no time to waste in tackling an economic crisis, as defeated rival Raila Odinga prepared a legal challenge to overturn his loss in Aug. 9&#8217;s election.



Ruto was declared president-elect on Monday by Kenya&#8217;s election commission chairman after a closely fought race to lead East Africa&#8217;s richest country, but four of the seven election commissioners have challenged the results.



Odinga has said he will contest the decision in court, calling it a &#8220;travesty&#8221;.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2ZS0HB&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Ruto nevertheless said he was forging ahead with creating an administration, promising that no Kenyan would be excluded, whatever their political or ethnic affiliation.



&#8220;I really want us to know that the expectations of the people of Kenya are huge. We don&#8217;t have the luxury of wasting time,&#8221; Ruto, currently deputy president, said after meeting elected officials from his alliance at his official residence.



The 55-year-old did not directly address Odinga&#8217;s plan to challenge his victory, but said: &#8220;If there will be court processes, we will engage because we adhere to the rule of law.&#8221;



President Uhuru Kenyatta&#8217;s successor will have to quickly address an economic crisis that has left Kenyans struggling with soaring prices and rising unemployment.



His ability to do so will be hampered by debt built up to finance development through Kenyatta&#8217;s 10 years in office, during which economic output doubled.



At a separate meeting in the capital, elected officials from Odinga&#8217;s alliance met to chart their next steps in what is likely to be a bruising legal battle over the election result.



Odinga did not speak at the event but his running mate, Martha Karua, a former justice minister, said: &#8220;Ours is victory deferred.&#8221;



&#8220;As we explore legal and constitutional avenues, let everybody know, victory is coming home,&#8221; Karua told the meeting.



Odinga, a veteran presidential candidate who was making his fifth stab at the office, has until Monday to file a petition at the Supreme Court.



He has gone down this path before, in 2013 and in 2017, when the presidential election result was quashed.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2ZS3ZW&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The court said on Wednesday it was ready to handle any petition and was making preparations just in case.



(Reporting by George Obulutsa; Writing by James Macharia Chege;Editing by Catherine Evans)

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Kenya’s Ruto says no time to waste after election as rival prepares court challenge

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/JEDAY5REWZPNBHDPC3ZS3XKIYU-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419247" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/JEDAY5REWZPNBHDPC3ZS3XKIYU-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/JEDAY5REWZPNBHDPC3ZS3XKIYU-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/JEDAY5REWZPNBHDPC3ZS3XKIYU-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/JEDAY5REWZPNBHDPC3ZS3XKIYU-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/JEDAY5REWZPNBHDPC3ZS3XKIYU-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/JEDAY5REWZPNBHDPC3ZS3XKIYU-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Kenya&#8217;s opposition leader Raila Odinga of the Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) One Kenya Alliance, who competed in Kenya&#8217;s presidential election, addresses the nation following the announcement of the results of the presidential election, in Nairobi, Kenya August 16, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI/KISUMU, Aug 16 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Kenyan politician Raila Odinga rejected as a &#8220;travesty&#8221; the result of the Aug. 9 presidential election he was declared to have lost to Deputy President William Ruto and warned on Tuesday of a long legal crisis facing Kenya&#8217;s democracy.



His first comments on the result came after four of the seven election commissioners said they stood by their decision a day earlier to disown figures announced by electoral commission chairman Wafula Chebukati.



The dramatic series of events has raised fears of violence similar to what followed disputed polls in East Africa&#8217;s richest country in 2007 when more than 1,200 people were killed and again in 2017 when more than 100 people died.



Overnight, Odinga&#8217;s supporters battled police and burned tyres in the western city of Kisumu and the capital Nairobi&#8217;s huge Kibera slum, but calm had returned to the streets by Tuesday morning.



&#8220;Our view is that the figures announced by Chebukati are null and void and must be quashed by a court of law,&#8221; said Odinga, a veteran opposition leader and five-time presidential candidate who was backed this time by outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta.



&#8220;What we saw yesterday was a travesty,&#8221; he told reporters, but appealed to his supporters to remain peaceful. &#8220;Let no one take the law into their own hands,&#8221; he said.



Odinga broadcast the dissenting commission members&#8217; news conference at his own venue before taking the stage. He said he was not yet prepared to announce specific legal steps.



Odinga has until next Monday to file a challenge with the supreme court.



Speaking for the four commissioners, electoral commission deputy chair Juliana Cherera said the results showing Ruto winning with 50.49% were erroneously aggregated and that Chebukati had disregarded concerns about the tally raised by other commissioners.



Cherera later said that one of her main claims was based on a mathematical error. She had originally highlighted that the vote percentages for the race&#8217;s four candidates added up to 100.01%, saying the additional 0.01% represented 142,000 votes, enough to potentially sway the election.



Ruto defeated Odinga by about 233,000 votes.



Responding to a Reuters query, Cherera later acknowledged that 0.01% of the 14.2 million votes cast was actually 1,420, but said the tally still showed a lack of quality control of the data.



Reuters was unable to reach the election commission&#8217;s spokesperson for comment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-streets-quiet">STREETS QUIET</h2>



With memories still fresh of post-election bloodshed, Odinga has faced calls from home and abroad to commit to resolving any concerns in the courts.



U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke with Ruto on Tuesday and hopes to speak with Odinga on Wednesday, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, adding Guterres hoped the electoral process would be completed in accordance with the law.



U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price urged parties to work together to &#8220;peacefully resolve any remaining concerns about the election&#8221; through existing dispute resolution mechanisms and called on political party leaders to urge supporters to remain peaceful.



&#8220;We hope to see that calm and patience prevail,&#8221; Price told reporters, adding that Washington will continue to be in close touch with Kenyan partners.



At a crowded restaurant in Odinga&#8217;s stronghold of Kisumu there was sporadic applause as supporters watched his statement rejecting the results and calling for peace. Outside the streets were quiet.



&#8220;There is no need for protest because we have evidence that Ruto rigged this thing,&#8221; said Justin Omondi, a businessman and Odinga supporter.



Even so, the protests overnight showed how quickly tensions could escalate. Many shops in Kisumu were shuttered on Tuesday, and roads were dotted with stones and marks from burned tyres.



Nancy Achieng arrived on Tuesday morning to find her roadside food stall in the Kondele neighbourhood destroyed.



&#8220;I&#8217;ve lost the election and I&#8217;ve also lost my business,&#8221; said Achieng, who had been selling beans, chapati and roasted maize there for two years.



Kenya&#8217;s Eurobonds slipped after the statements by Odinga and the commissioners but were still up on the day having recovered some of the sharp losses seen on Monday.



Its 2024 dollar-denominated bond&nbsp;US491798AE43=TE&nbsp;was up 1.86 cents on the dollar at 88.5 cents at 1400 GMT compared to over 92 cents late last week.



Ruto would face an economic and social crisis as well as rising debt. Poor Kenyans already reeling from the impact of COVID-19 have been hit by soaring food and fuel costs while a devastating drought in the north has left 4.1 million people dependent on food aid.



The 55-year-old Ruto made Kenya&#8217;s class divisions the centrepiece of his campaign to become Kenya&#8217;s fifth president, promising to reward low-income &#8220;hustlers&#8221;, but in his victory speech on Monday vowed to be a president for all Kenyans.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2ZR0H1&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Outgoing president Kenyatta, who could not run after serving two five-year terms, fell out with his deputy Ruto and backed Odinga.



NEWSMAKER-Kenya&#8217;s Ruto: From village chicken seller to president<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2ZR0H1&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Kenya presidential hopeful Ruto promises to publish contracts with China<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2Z11X0&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



EXPLAINER-The legal procedure for contesting Kenyan election results<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2ZS3ZW&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri, George Obulutsa and David Lewis in Nairobi, Ayenat Mersie and Kevine Omollo in Kisumu; Additional reporting by Rachel Savage in London, Michelle Nichols in New York and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington; Writing by James Macharia Chege and Aaron Ross; Editing by Catherine Evans, Tomasz Janowski and Cynthia Osterman)

Kenya’s opposition leader Odinga addresses the nation after Ruto declared president-elect

Kenya’s Odinga says presidential election result a ‘travesty’

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242420790-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419241" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242420790-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242420790-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242420790-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242420790-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242420790-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242420790-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>tTIHANGE, BELGIUM &#8211; AUGUST 10: Electricity pylon is seen near from the Tihange Nuclear Power Station on August 10, 2022, in Tihange, Belgium. As the European Union prepares for the drastic reduction of Russian gas imports, some users are concerned about the risk of heating and electricity cuts next winter. (Photo by Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



KAMPALA, Aug 16 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Uganda said on Tuesday a hydropower plant representing some 15% of its electricity generating capacity had been put under an emergency shutdown due to &#8220;operational challenges&#8221;, cutting the supply of power to the country&#8217;s grid.



Authorities will now implement a series of measures including power cuts &#8211; known as load shedding &#8211; to minimise demand on the grid to match the reduced supply, a statement from the energy ministry said.



Measures to restore operations were already being undertaken, but the plant was not expected to restart for another three weeks, it added.



The state-run Isimba hydropower dam on the River Nile, which has generating capacity of 183 megawatts, was constructed by a Chinese contractor with a loan secured from China&#8217;s Exim bank, and was commissioned in 2019.



&#8220;The shutdown was due to operational challenges that led the flow of water into the power house,&#8221; the ministry said in the statement. It said the shutdown was to protect staff and prevent damage to critical equipment.



Uganda has total generating capacity of about 1,200 megawatts, mostly from hydropower plants built along the Nile river.



Another large dam, Karuma, being built by China&#8217;s Synohydro on the Nile is expected to be commissioned later this year and will generate 600 megawatts.



(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Jan Harvey)

Tihange Nuclear Power Station

Uganda faces power cuts after major hydropower plant suspends operations

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="728" height="485" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3XTH2XYS4BLLHJOWKTXTU7A3KM.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419237" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3XTH2XYS4BLLHJOWKTXTU7A3KM.jpg 728w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3XTH2XYS4BLLHJOWKTXTU7A3KM-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3XTH2XYS4BLLHJOWKTXTU7A3KM-135x90.jpg 135w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px" /><figcaption>A demonstrator holds up a poster of Kenya&#8217;s opposition leader and presidential candidate Raila Odinga, as protests erupt after the presidential election results were announced, declaring Deputy President William Ruto the winner, in Kisumu, Kenya August 15, 2022. REUTERS/Baz Ratner</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI/KISUMU, Aug 16 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga rejected as &#8220;null and void&#8221; the result of an Aug. 9 presidential election he was declared to have lost, adding on Tuesday that Kenya&#8217;s democracy faces a long legal crisis.



His first comments on the result came shortly after four of the seven election commissioners said they stood by their decision a day earlier to disown the outcome of the presidential poll, saying the final tallying process had been &#8220;opaque&#8221;.



&#8220;Our view is that the figures announced by (electoral commission chairman Wafula) Chebukati are null and void and must be quashed by court of law,&#8221; Odinga, who was making his fifth bid for the presidency, told a news conference.



&#8220;What we saw yesterday was a travesty,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Let no one take the law into their own hands.&#8221;



Chebukati declared current deputy president William Ruto the winner on Monday with 50.49% of the vote against Odinga&#8217;s 48.5%. Minutes earlier, his deputy Juliana Cherera had told media at a separate location that she and three other commissioners disowned the results.



Speaking for the group on Tuesday, Cherera said the results that gave Ruto a wafer-thin victory were erroneously aggregated and accused Chebukati of over-ruling their questions on the final tally. She said the elections had been conducted in a proper manner.



Chebukati and the four dissenting commissioners did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.



Odinga broadcast the dissenting commission members&#8217; own news conference at his own venue before taking the stage.



In his speech, he urged his supporters to maintain peace and not to take the law into their own hands.



Monday&#8217;s dramatic events have raised fears of violence like that seen after past elections in Kenya, usually one of Africa&#8217;s most stable countries, and Odinga had faced calls from home and abroad to commit to resolving any disputes in the courts.



In 2017, more than 100 people were killed after the Supreme Court overturned the result citing anomalies in the voting process. A decade earlier, more than 1,200 people were killed in widespread violence after the 2007 presidential vote.



At a crowded restaurant in the western city of Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold, there was sporadic applause as he rejected yesterday&#8217;s results on live television.



In Kisumu and Nairobi&#8217;s huge Kibera slum, where most voters also strongly favour Odinga, quiet had returned to the streets after protesters battled police and burned tyres overnight.



NEWSMAKER-Kenya&#8217;s Ruto: From village chicken seller to president<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2ZR0H1&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Kenya presidential hopeful Ruto promises to publish contracts with China<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2Z11X0&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri, George Obulutsa and David Lewis in Nairobi, Ayenat Mersie and Kevine Omollo in Kisumu Writing by James Macharia ChegeEditing by Catherine Evans)

3XTH2XYS4BLLHJOWKTXTU7A3KM

Kenya’s Odinga says presidential election result ‘null and void’

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PB7OOT2RQRL53H4CNHWZ3TSD5I-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419224" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PB7OOT2RQRL53H4CNHWZ3TSD5I-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PB7OOT2RQRL53H4CNHWZ3TSD5I-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PB7OOT2RQRL53H4CNHWZ3TSD5I-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PB7OOT2RQRL53H4CNHWZ3TSD5I-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PB7OOT2RQRL53H4CNHWZ3TSD5I.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Soldiers from the Rwandan security forces sit inside an Armoured Personal Carrier (APC) near the Afungi natural gas site, Mozambique September 22, 2021. REUTERS/Baz Ratner/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Aug 16 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The European Union is planning a five-fold increase in financial support to an African military mission in Mozambique, an internal EU document shows, as Islamist attacks threaten gas projects meant to reduce the EU&#8217;s reliance on Russian energy.



The energy squeeze due to the Ukraine war has added impetus to Europe&#8217;s scramble for gas off Mozambique&#8217;s northern coast, where Western oil firms are planning to build a massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal.



The move also comes as the West seeks to counter Russian and Chinese influence in the southern African nation, three years after Russian private military firm Wagner withdrew most of its forces following a string of defeats by Islamist militants.



Mozambique has been grappling with militants linked to the Islamic State in its northernmost gas-rich province of Cabo Delgado since 2017, near LNG projects worth billions of dollars.



A southern African military mission and a separate intervention by troops from Rwanda have between them managed to contain the militants&#8217; spread since being deployed last year.



But &#8220;the situation remains very volatile and smaller-scale violent attacks have continued in various districts,&#8221; the EU document dated Aug. 10 said.



The paper prepared by the European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU&#8217;s de facto foreign ministry, recommends 15 million euros ($15.3 million) of EU funding to 2024 for the mission of the Southern African Development Community&#8217;s (SADC), a bloc of 16 African nations of which half a dozen sent troops to Mozambique.



The mission is expected to be extended for six or twelve months at a SADC summit in Kinshasa starting on Wednesday, according to the document, which adds that EU support for the Rwandan mission would also be proposed in the coming months.



An EU spokesperson confirmed additional financial support to the SADC mission had been proposed, but declined to comment further as the matter was still being discussed by EU governments.



The proposal needs the backing of the 27 EU governments, whose military experts are scheduled to hold a regular meeting on Aug. 25.



A SADC official also confirmed a request for EU support, but added SADC countries would continue to provide key financial support to the mission.



French oil giant Total&nbsp;TTEF.PA&nbsp;is leading an international consortium to extract gas off north Mozambique&#8217;s shores and liquefy it at an LNG plant under construction, from where it would be exported to Europe and Asia.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gas-projects-threatened">GAS PROJECTS THREATENED</h2>



Mozambique has the third largest proven gas reserves in Africa, after Nigeria and Algeria. The EU fears that without support for the military interventions, Mozambique may again lose control of its restive north.



The Islamists have recently stepped up attacks.



The EU has already pledged to provide the country&#8217;s army with an additional 45 million euros ($45 million) of financial support, and has so far made available to the SADC mission 2.9 million euros of funding.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2YV3FH&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The fresh EU support would be limited to &#8220;equipment not designed to deliver lethal force,&#8221; including radars, mine detectors, boats and medical supplies, the EU document said, in spite of SADC&#8217;s needs for lethal material.



Despite delays caused by militant activity, Total still plans to begin production in 2024 from gas reserves estimated in trillions of cubic feet (tcf), more than the amount of gas the EU imports annually from Russia.



Italian oil firm ENI&nbsp;ENI.MI&nbsp;expects to begin shipments from a nearby offshore gas field this year, using a floating LNG terminal which can process only limited amounts of gas.



Other major oil firms, including U.S. giant ExxonMobil&nbsp;XOM.N&nbsp;are also operating in the region.



The funding is also meant to discourage local authorities from seeking help again from Russia, or from China.



The EU is also supporting the training of Mozambique military forces through its own defence mission in the country.



($1 = 0.9766 euros)



(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio; Editing by Tim Cocks and Mark Potter)

PB7OOT2RQRL53H4CNHWZ3TSD5I

Amid energy crisis, EU plans to help gas-rich Mozambique boost security

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/LETBA7V76JKRZO42N26P637WLE-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419220" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/LETBA7V76JKRZO42N26P637WLE-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/LETBA7V76JKRZO42N26P637WLE-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/LETBA7V76JKRZO42N26P637WLE-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/LETBA7V76JKRZO42N26P637WLE-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/LETBA7V76JKRZO42N26P637WLE-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/LETBA7V76JKRZO42N26P637WLE-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Kenya&#8217;s Deputy President William Ruto and presidential candidate for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Kenya Kwanza political coalition, speaks after being declared the winner of Kenya&#8217;s presidential election, at the IEBC National Tallying Centre at the Bomas of Kenya, in Nairobi, Kenya August 15, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya</figcaption></figure>



KISUMU/NAIROBI, Aug 16 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Kenya braced on Tuesday for a protracted legal battle after William Ruto was declared the victor in a closely fought presidential race over the objections of more than half the electoral commission, stoking fears of political violence.



With memories still fresh of past post-election bloodshed in usually stable Kenya, defeated candidate Raila Odinga is under local and international pressure to call for calm and seek to resolve any concerns over the election outcome in the courts.



The veteran opposition leader, who lost his fifth bid for the presidency, will address the media at 1100 GMT, his spokesman said on Twitter.



In the western city of Kisumu and Nairobi&#8217;s huge Kibera slum, both Odinga strongholds, quiet returned to the streets after protesters battled police and burned tyres overnight.



Businesses were open as normal in most of the country, and people in areas that voted overwhelmingly for Ruto were in a celebratory mood.



The dramatic events of Monday, which saw Ruto declared president by a tiny margin as a split emerged in the electoral commission overseeing the Aug. 9 vote, have raised fears of violence like that seen after disputed polls in 2007 and 2017.



African diplomats were among those calling for a peaceful resolution, adding their voices to those of the United Nations and the U.S. embassy in Kenya.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2ZR0DS&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



&#8220;In my view it is over,&#8221; one African diplomat said. &#8220;Kenyans don&#8217;t want it (the electoral process) to drag.&#8221;



The four commissioners who disowned the election results also said on Monday that the parties should seek resolution through the courts.



Another diplomat said: &#8220;I think all messaging (to Odinga) is in the same direction. He would be mad to trot out the same strategies as 2017&#8221; &#8211; a reference to Odinga&#8217;s call for mass street protests after losing the last presidential election.



Then, more than 100 people were killed after the Supreme Court overturned the result citing anomalies in the voting process. A decade earlier, more than 1,200 people were killed in widespread violence after the 2007 presidential vote.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ODINGA&#8217;S NEXT MOVE</h2>



Makau Mutua, the head of Odinga&#8217;s campaign think-tank, said officials of his Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) Alliance were discussing a course of action.



&#8220;We are consulting among ourselves,&#8221; Mutua told Reuters by phone. &#8220;It is a top line issue &#8230; all options are on the table. No option has been ruled out at this moment.&#8221;



He said the message sent by the four commissioners who disowned the results, was that &#8220;the chair of the commission does not have the authority to decide unilaterally the final results of the election&#8221;.



Neither the chairman of the electoral commission, Wafula Chebukati, who declared Ruto the winner with 50.49% of the vote against Odinga&#8217;s 48.5%, nor the four commissioners who disowned the results responded to a Reuters request for comment.



Chebukati said in the government&#8217;s official publication that Ruto and running mate, Rigathi Gachagua were president-elect and deputy president-elect.



Ruto, the current deputy president and head of the Kenya Kwanza (Kenya First) Alliance, had appeared to be leading Odinga as Kenyans awaited final results of the election.



Once in office, he will have to confront an economic and social crisis in East Africa&#8217;s richest nation. Poor Kenyans already reeling from the impact of COVID-19 have been hit by global rises in food and fuel prices while a devastating drought in the north has left 4.1 million people dependent on food aid.



The 55-year-old had made Kenya&#8217;s class divisions the centrepiece of his campaign to become Kenya&#8217;s fifth president, promising to reward low-income &#8220;hustlers.&#8221;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2ZR0H1&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-anxious-wait">ANXIOUS WAIT</h2>



In Kisumu, the mood was subdued, with many shops shuttered and roads dotted with large stones and marks from burned tyres.



Some residents said they were waiting for Odinga&#8217;s signal.



Nancy Achieng arrived on Tuesday morning to find the wooden stall from which she sold foods at the side of the road in the Kondele neighbourhood destroyed.



&#8220;I&#8217;ve lost the election and I&#8217;ve also lost my business,&#8221; said Achieng, who had been selling beans, chapati and roasted maize there for two years. &#8220;I don&#8217;t even know where I&#8217;m going to get the cash from (to rebuild).&#8221;



Across the road stood a supermarket with its windows broken.



Achieng said she might protest on Tuesday, depending on what sort of statement Odinga and his party made.



&#8220;We need him to speak soon &#8230; there is a lot of anxiety,&#8221; she said.



NEWSMAKER-Kenya&#8217;s Ruto: From village chicken seller to president<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2ZR0H1&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Kenya presidential hopeful Ruto promises to publish contracts with China<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2Z11X0&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri, George Obulutsa and David Lewis in Nairobi, Ayenat Mersie and Kevine Omollo in Kisumu Writing by James Macharia ChegeEditing by Catherine Evans)

Kenya’s election results are announced

Kenya braces for legal battle after Ruto declared president-elect

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/OR2ANVUMGFIXPHUHXGKEJWWR7A-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419201" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/OR2ANVUMGFIXPHUHXGKEJWWR7A-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/OR2ANVUMGFIXPHUHXGKEJWWR7A-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/OR2ANVUMGFIXPHUHXGKEJWWR7A-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/OR2ANVUMGFIXPHUHXGKEJWWR7A-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/OR2ANVUMGFIXPHUHXGKEJWWR7A-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/OR2ANVUMGFIXPHUHXGKEJWWR7A-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Kenya&#8217;s Deputy President William Ruto and presidential candidate for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Kenya Kwanza political coalition reacts after being declared the winner of Kenya&#8217;s presidential election at the IEBC National Tallying Centre at the Bomas of Kenya, in Nairobi, Kenya August 15, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI/KISUMU, Aug 15 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Kenya&#8217;s elections chief declared Deputy President William Ruto the winner of a tight presidential race on Monday but some senior election officials disowned the result, fuelling fears of widespread violence like that seen after previous disputed polls.



Hailing the electoral commission as &#8220;heroes&#8221; after he was declared the winner, Ruto said: &#8220;There is no looking back. We are looking to the future. We need all hands on deck to move forward.&#8221;



The 55-year-old had made Kenya&#8217;s class divisions the centrepiece of his campaign to become Kenya&#8217;s fifth president, promising to reward low-income &#8220;hustlers.&#8221;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2ZR0H1&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



He was also scornful of Kenya’s political dynasties &#8211; his opponent Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta, son of the nation&#8217;s first vice president and president, respectively. Kenyatta, who has served his two-term limit as president, fell out with Ruto after the last election and this time endorsed Odinga, making his fifth attempt at winning the presidency.



Once in office, Ruto will have to confront an economic and social crisis in East Africa&#8217;s most advanced economy, where poor Kenyans already reeling from the impact of COVID-19 have been hit by global rises in food and fuel prices.



The worst drought for 40 years has devastated the country&#8217;s north, leaving 4.1 million people dependent on food aid, while its debt levels have soared.



Ruto, who heads the Kenya Kwanza (Kenya First) Alliance, had appeared to be leading opposition leader Odinga as Kenyans awaited final results of the election held nearly a week ago.



Minutes before the chairman of the electoral commission Wafula Chebukati announced that Ruto had won, his deputy Juliana Cherera had told media at a separate location that she and three other commissioners disowned the results.



&#8220;We are not able to take ownership of the results that will be announced, because of the opaque nature of this last phase of the general election,&#8221; she said.



The electoral commission has seven commissioners.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HISTORY OF VIOLENCE</h2>



The electoral commission has introduced many checks and balances to try to prevent disputes like those that led to violence in which more than 1,200 people were killed following the 2007 election. In 2017, more than 100 people were killed after the Supreme Court quashed the initial result over irregularities in the electoral process.



Amid fears that vote-rigging allegations could lead to bloody scenes like those that followed presidential polls in 2007 and 2017, Cherera urged the parties to pursue any disputes through the courts.



Diplomats and international observers were whisked out of the tallying hall before Chebukati spoke, as scuffles broke out.



Before announcing Ruto as the winner, Chebukati said two commissioners and the electoral commission&#8217;s chief executive had been injured and were being treated.



Chebukati said Ruto had won 50.49% of the vote, against Odinga&#8217;s 48.5%.



The winning candidate must get 50% of votes plus one.



Kenya&#8217;s dollar-denominated government bonds fell by as much as 2.9 cents on the dollar, Tradeweb data showed.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2ZR3YU&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The United Nations took note of the results, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, and encouraged all candidates to &#8220;resort to legal channels to address any challenges that may arise.&#8221;



The U.S. embassy in Kenya urged all parties to work together to peacefully resolve concerns about the election.



&#8220;We ask all political party leaders to continue to urge their supporters to remain peaceful and refrain from violence,&#8221; it said in a statement.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-over">&#8216;NOT OVER&#8217;</h2>



Odinga did not attend the announcement. His running mate, Martha Karua later tweeted: &#8220;it is not over until it is over.&#8221;



Saitabao Kanchory, national chief agent for Odinga&#8217;s Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) Alliance told reporters outside the tallying centre that it would continue to &#8220;hold Wafula Chebukati &#8230; to account to the people of Kenya to deliver a free fair credible election.&#8221;



In the Kibera slums in Nairobi and Kisumu, both Odinga strongholds, the reaction was immediate.



Several plumes of black smoke rose in the streets of Kibera, mirroring similar scenes in Kisumu, to the west of the country, as people burned piles of tires. Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds.



In Kisumu, Governor Anyang&#8217; Nyong&#8217;o called for calm as protests in parts of the lakeside town turned violent after Ruto&#8217;s victory was declared. He said the Azimio leadership was working to plan its response to &#8220;ensure justice&#8221; for Odinga.



Amid shouts of &#8220;We need Raila now!&#8221;, &#8220;Chebukati must go!&#8221; and &#8220;No Raila, no peace!&#8221;, motorcycle drivers honked their horns and people blew into vuvuzelas and whistles.



By contrast, the mood in Eldoret &#8211; Ruto&#8217;s home turf &#8211; was ecstatic.



&#8220;We are very happy. I believe in the leader who was selected, I believe in the IEBC (the electoral commission),&#8221; said 25-year-old Eldoret resident Kenneth Kibitok.



&#8220;He is about the bottom up. People from down there will be up here,&#8221; said Kibitok, who had spent all day on a stretch of Eldoret sidewalk popular with Kenyans who like discussing politics.



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri and George Obulutsa in Nairobi, Ayenat Mersie in Kisumu, Nelson Ali in Eldoret, Joseph Akwiri in Mombasa and Daud Yussuf in Garissa; writing by James Macharia Chege; Editing by Mark Heinrich, Catherine Evans and Grant McCool)

Kenya’s Ruto declared president-elect in chaotic scenes

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/E2BW6AKXENLZHENCXHJUMBPRPQ-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419195" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/E2BW6AKXENLZHENCXHJUMBPRPQ-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/E2BW6AKXENLZHENCXHJUMBPRPQ-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/E2BW6AKXENLZHENCXHJUMBPRPQ-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/E2BW6AKXENLZHENCXHJUMBPRPQ-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/E2BW6AKXENLZHENCXHJUMBPRPQ.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Kenya&#8217;s Deputy President William Ruto and presidential candidate for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Kenya Kwanza political coalition walks before the announcement of the results of Kenya&#8217;s presidential election , in Nairobi, Kenya August 15, 2022. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI/KISUMU, Aug 15 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Kenya&#8217;s elections chief declared Deputy President William Ruto the winner of a tight presidential race on Monday but, amid chaotic scenes, four other senior election officials said the week-long count was too opaque and disowned the result.



Ruto had appeared to be leading long-time opposition leader Raila Odinga as Kenyans awaited final results of the election held nearly a week ago.



Minutes before the chairman of the electoral commission Wafula Chebukati announced that Ruto had won the vote, his deputy Juliana Cherera had told media at a separate location that she and three other commissioners disowned the results.



&#8220;We are not able to take ownership of the results that will be announced,&#8221; she said.



Diplomats and international elections were whisked out of the tallying hall before Chebukati spoke, as scuffles broke out.



Amid fears that vote-rigging allegations could lead to bloody scenes like those that followed presidential polls in 2007 and 2017, Cherera urged the parties to pursue any disputes through the courts.



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri and George Obulutsa in Nairobi, Ayenat Mersie in Kisumu, Nelson Ali in Eldoret, Joseph Akwiri in Mombasa and Daud Yussuf in Garissa;writing by James Macharia Chege; editing by John Stonestreet, Mark Heinrich and Catherine Evans)

E2BW6AKXENLZHENCXHJUMBPRPQ

Kenya election officials disown presidential election results

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242464271-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419191" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242464271-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242464271-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242464271-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242464271-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242464271-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242464271-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>NAIROBI, ELDORET- AUGUST 12: A poster of Kenya&#8217;s Deputy President and presidential candidate William Ruto of Kenya Kwanza (Kenya first) political party coalition party is seen behind a man as Kenyans wait for election results on August 12, 2022 in Eldoret, Kenya. Kenyans headed to the polls on August 9 to vote for a new president during a time of drought and soaring food prices in a post-pandemic stricken economy. With four candidates running for presidency, the main rivals are 77-year-old former prime minister and four-time presidential candidate Raila Odinga, and 55-year-old deputy president William Ruto. (Photo by Ed Ram/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Aug 15 (Reuters) &#8211; Deputy President William Ruto led a tight presidential race against opposition leader Raila Odinga, official results reported by media showed on Monday, with an announcement from electoral authorities due at 1200 GMT.



Slow progress by the electoral commission in tallying Tuesday&#8217;s vote have fed anxiety in East Africa&#8217;s&nbsp;most economically advanced&nbsp;country, which has a recent history of violence following disputed elections.



In its latest announcement on Saturday of officially verified results with a little more than a quarter of votes counted, the commission put Odinga in the lead with 54% and Ruto on 45%.&nbsp;Subsequent tallies by Kenyan media groups and Reuters, however, put Ruto at 51-52% and Odinga at 48%.



The tallying centre where the announcement will be made was packed with party officials who were entertained by musicians calling for calm.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-ruto-pulls-ahead-in-kenya-s-presidential-vote-count-as-tempers-fray">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/ruto-pulls-ahead-in-kenyas-presidential-vote-count-as-tempers-fray/">Ruto pulls ahead in Kenya’s presidential vote count as tempers fray</a></h3>



Purity Njeru, the electoral commission&#8217;s head of communications, said the declaration of the presidential winner would be made at 1200 GMT.



The winning candidate must get 50% of votes plus one.



President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has served his two-term limit, fell out with Ruto after the last election and this time endorsed Odinga for president.



Ruto heads the Kenya Kwanza (Kenya First) Alliance and served as a lawmaker and minister for agriculture before becoming deputy president.



Odinga is running for president under the Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) Alliance, which includes Kenyatta&#8217;s Jubilee party. He is a former cabinet minister and prime minister.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CHECKS AND BALANCES</h2>



Media reported more than three quarters of votes counted.



In official verified results reported by the independent and privately owned Nation Media Group, with 253 constituencies counted out of a total of 291, Ruto had 51% of the vote and Odinga 48%.



The Standard Group &#8211; likewise independent and privately owned &#8211; reported Ruto ahead, again with 51% of the vote against Odinga&#8217;s 48% and also with 253 constituencies tallied.



A Reuters tally of 268 preliminary constituency-level results at&nbsp;1100&nbsp;GMT on Monday showed Ruto on 52% and Odinga at 48%. Two minor candidates shared less than a percent between them.



Reuters did not include 20 forms in the count because they lacked signatures&nbsp;and&nbsp;totals, were illegible or had other problems.



The preliminary tally was based on forms that were subject to revision if any discrepancies were discovered during the official verification process.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/rigging-allegations-begin-as-kenyan-media-slow-tally-of-votes-in-tight-presidential-race/">Rigging allegations begin as Kenyan media slow tally of votes in tight presidential race</a></h3>



The many checks and balances&nbsp;were&nbsp;designed to try to prevent the kind of allegations of rigging that provoked violence after the 2007 vote, when more than 1,200 people were killed.



In 2017, after the Supreme Court&nbsp;quashed&nbsp;the result over irregularities in the electoral process, more than 100 were killed.



Crispinus Kokonya in Eldoret, a region where Ruto has&nbsp;his largest&nbsp;support base, said the outcome was still unclear.



&#8220;So we are now waiting upon Chebukati&#8230; what he says we will follow,&#8221; he said referring to the electoral commission Chairman Wafula Chebukati.



Others said the wait was&nbsp;damaging&nbsp;business.



&#8220;We are losing money &#8211; it&#8217;s causing a lot of anxiety and anger,&#8221; said Alphonce Otieno Odhiambo a farmer and a motor bike taxi driver in Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold.



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri and George Obulutsa in Nairobi, Ayenat Mersie in Kisumu and Nelson Ali in Eldoret;writing by James Macharia Chege; editing by John Stonestreet and Mark Heinrich)

Kenyan’s Anticipate Presidential Election Results In Tight  Race Amid Low Turnout

Kenya election outcome set to be announced with media giving Ruto narrow lead

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="429" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3NHUCRX4X5OXNGYX2MA4VP42AQ-820x429.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419176" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3NHUCRX4X5OXNGYX2MA4VP42AQ-820x429.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3NHUCRX4X5OXNGYX2MA4VP42AQ-300x157.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3NHUCRX4X5OXNGYX2MA4VP42AQ-160x84.jpg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3NHUCRX4X5OXNGYX2MA4VP42AQ-768x402.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3NHUCRX4X5OXNGYX2MA4VP42AQ-1536x804.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3NHUCRX4X5OXNGYX2MA4VP42AQ.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>A views shows posters of Kenya&#8217;s Deputy President William Ruto and presidential candidate for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Kenya Kwanza political coalition on top of the Silverline Butchery restaurant in Eldoret, Kenya August 11, 2022. REUTERS/Baz Ratner</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Aug 14 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Kenya&#8217;s Deputy President William Ruto has edged ahead in a tight presidential race, according to official results reported by Kenyan media on Sunday, as more riot police were deployed inside the national election tallying centre after scuffles and accusations by party agents.



The fracas underscored fraying tempers and high tensions within the national counting hall as the country waits for official results from last Tuesday&#8217;s election. There were wry digs online over the melee from citizens pointing out that the rest of the nation is waiting patiently.



In the presidential race, official verified results reported by the Nation media group showed Ruto taking 51% of the vote, ahead of left-leaning opposition leader Raila Odinga who had 48%.



Confusion over vote tallying in the media and the slow pace of progress by the electoral commission have fed anxiety in Kenya, which is East Africa&#8217;s richest and most stable nation but which has a history of violence following disputed elections.



Reuters was unable to get access to the official running vote tally for the presidential race on Sunday. A live feed displaying the results at the national tallying center had disappeared hours earlier.



When asked about the tally, a spokeswoman for the commission referred Reuters to the live feed. Other electoral officials said they were unable to provide the information.



Officially verified results on Saturday, with a little more than a quarter of votes counted, put Odinga in the lead with 54% of the vote while Ruto had 45%.



The winner must get 50% of votes plus one. The commission has seven days from the vote to declare the winners.



A Reuters tally of 263 out of 291 preliminary constituency-level results at 1800 GMT on Sunday showed Ruto in the lead with just under 52% and Odinga at 47.5%. Two minor candidates shared less than a percent between them.



Reuters did not include 19 forms in the count because they lacked signatures, totals, were illegible or had other problems.



The preliminary tally is based on forms that are subject to revision if any discrepancies are discovered during the official verification process.



The many checks and balances are designed to try to prevent the kind of allegations of rigging that provoked violence in 2007, when more than 1,200 people were killed, and in 2017, when more than 100 people were killed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chaos-at-the-counting-hall">CHAOS AT THE COUNTING HALL</h2>



Odinga and Ruto are vying to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has served his two-term limit. Kenyatta fell out with Ruto after the last election and has endorsed Odinga for president.



Kenyatta leaves power having laden Kenya with debt for expensive infrastructure projects and without having tackled the endemic corruption that has hollowed out all levels of government. The next president will also take on rapidly rising food and fuel costs.



Ruto&#8217;s strong showing reflects widespread discontent with Kenyatta&#8217;s legacy &#8211; even in parts of the country where the president has previously swept the vote.



Large numbers of Kenyans also did not vote, saying neither candidate inspired them.



On Sunday, Ruto&#8217;s party member Johnson Sakaja won the governorship of the capital Nairobi, the wealthiest and most populous of the 47 counties.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TENSIONS AT TALLYING CENTRE</h2>



As the tight race continued, party agents have grown increasingly agitated at the tallying centre, known as Bomas. Late on Saturday, Raila Odinga&#8217;s chief agent Saitabao ole Kanchory grabbed a microphone and announced &#8220;Bomas of Kenya is a scene of crime,&#8221; before officials switched off his microphone.



Party agents scuffled with each other, with police and with election officials, at one point trying to drag one official outside.



The scenes, broadcast on national news, were met with bemusement by Kenyans, who urged their leaders to grow up.



&#8220;The reckless behavior at Bomas by so-called leaders, which can fast ignite the country, must be called out,&#8221; tweeted Alamin Kimathi, a human rights activist. &#8220;Let the drama end. Let the process continue.&#8221;



(Additional reporting by Humphrey Malalo; Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Frances Kerry and Hugh Lawson)

3NHUCRX4X5OXNGYX2MA4VP42AQ

Ruto pulls ahead in Kenya’s presidential vote count as tempers fray

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="550" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/SUPTTYXUWBKKXP3TTKUYBNYD6I-820x550.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419153" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/SUPTTYXUWBKKXP3TTKUYBNYD6I-820x550.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/SUPTTYXUWBKKXP3TTKUYBNYD6I-300x201.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/SUPTTYXUWBKKXP3TTKUYBNYD6I-134x90.jpg 134w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/SUPTTYXUWBKKXP3TTKUYBNYD6I-768x515.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/SUPTTYXUWBKKXP3TTKUYBNYD6I.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Various political parties delegates and officials from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) meet at the IEBC National Tallying centre at the Bomas of Kenya, in Nairobi, Kenya August 11, 2022. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Aug 12 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Without providing any proof, the secretary-general of Kenya&#8217;s governing party has said the country&#8217;s elections were rigged, fuelling public anxiety on Friday as media houses significantly slowed down their unofficial tallies of the presidential vote.



Only the electoral commission is authorised to declare a winner, but the tallies were seen as a bulwark against the kind of rigging allegations that have previously sparked violence.



Kenya, East Africa&#8217;s richest and most stable nation, has a history of violent election disputes. More than 1,200 people were killed after the 2007 elections and more than 100 after the 2017 elections.



So far the polls were generally praised by international observers, but problems usually emerge after results are announced.



Outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta must step down after serving the constitutional maximum of two five-year terms. His would-be successors are former political prisoner and veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto. Kenyatta has fallen out with Ruto and endorsed Odinga.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">RIGGING CLAIM</h2>



Late on Thursday, the chairman of Kenyatta&#8217;s Jubilee party issued a statement alleging &#8220;massive subtle rigging&#8221; and claiming the &#8220;electoral process was highly compromised&#8221; after Ruto&#8217;s party made a strong showing in an area where the dominant ethnicity is the same as Kenyatta.



The statement alleged voter intimidation, bribery, illegal displaying of campaign materials in polling station, mishandling of party agents and incorrect use of election materials. It provided no evidence and did not explain why the allegations had been made so late. Party officials were unreachable for comment.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/kenyans-anxious-for-news-on-next-president-two-days-after-tight-vote/">Kenyans anxious for news on next president, two days after tight vote</a></h3>



Previous elections have largely been determined by ethnic voting blocs. But Ruto has sought to make this election about economics, portraying himself as a self-made &#8220;hustler&#8221; in contrast to political &#8220;dynasties&#8221;. Odinga and Kenyatta are the sons of Kenya&#8217;s first vice president and president, respectively.



Ian Dan, a parcel service attendant the main bus park in Odinga&#8217;s stronghold of Kisumu, said business was very slow.



&#8220;We are in darkness and this is not good for us. People are anxious and need to have a clear picture,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There are allegations of rigging flying in social media, but many people are waiting to hear from Raila Odinga or William Ruto. Their word will influence people&#8217;s reaction.&#8221;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-media-slowdown">MEDIA SLOWDOWN</h2>



Media tallies, which had nearly stopped by Friday morning, showed both leading candidates neck and neck, just under the 50% mark they needed to win. Less than a percent was divided between two other marginal candidates.



If no candidate wins more than 50% plus one vote, the two frontrunners will have a run-off.



The electoral commission is the only body legally authorised to declare a winner. It initially uploaded images of results forms from more than 46,000 polling stations, but had not tallied them. Instead, media houses employed teams to download forms and enter them into a database.



More than 99.7% of polling station results are in but thousands have not been counted by the media. The abrupt slowdown started when around 80% of the vote had been counted.



Prominent Kenyan columnist and cartoonist Patrick Gathara criticised the slowdown, tweeting: &#8220;So once again KE media have chickened out and have stopped updating their counts? It was too good to last.&#8221;



But executives from Citizen and Nation media groups said exhausted staff needed a rest.



&#8220;Now we have about a third of people working that we started with and we intend to pick up pace in the next few hours when the rest of the team come back,&#8221; said Linus Kaikai, Director of Strategy at Citizen.



Stephen Gitagama, the CEO of Nation Media group, said his staff also needed a rest and that they focused on quality control. He referred Reuters to the election commission, known as the IEBC.



&#8220;IEBC bears the responsibility of providing the results, not the media,&#8221; he said.



On Friday morning, the election commission had finally begun displaying an official count of presidential results on a board at the main tallying center. It had counted 1.5% of the vote.



At 0730 GMT, a Reuters tally of 180 out of 291 constituency-level results had Ruto leading by 51.66% and Odinga at 47.69%. Eleven constituency-level results images were unreadable or lacked totals.



(Additional reporting by Ayenat Mersie in Eldoret; Editing by Toby Chopra)

SUPTTYXUWBKKXP3TTKUYBNYD6I

Rigging allegations begin as Kenyan media slow tally of votes in tight presidential race

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PZR3Z6K4CJLSVMXFXVQLCBZREA-1-820x526.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419146" width="818" height="525" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PZR3Z6K4CJLSVMXFXVQLCBZREA-1-820x526.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PZR3Z6K4CJLSVMXFXVQLCBZREA-1-300x193.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PZR3Z6K4CJLSVMXFXVQLCBZREA-1-140x90.jpg 140w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PZR3Z6K4CJLSVMXFXVQLCBZREA-1-768x493.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PZR3Z6K4CJLSVMXFXVQLCBZREA-1.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /><figcaption>Police officers secure the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials from rowdy agents after the general election, at the St. Teresa Girls Secondary School tallying centre near Mathare in Nairobi, Kenya August 11, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI/ELDORET, Kenya, Aug 11 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Kenyans crowded round radios and televisions on Thursday, increasingly anxious for news of who their next president might be, two days after voting in an election ended.



The East African country&#8217;s election commission (IEBC) has neither released a running tally of results nor said when it plans to announce the winner, but unofficial and sometimes conflicting media counts show a nail-bitingly close race.



Veteran opposition leader and former political prisoner Raila Odinga, 77, is making his fifth stab at the presidency. He stands neck and neck with outgoing Deputy President William Ruto, 55.



Kenyan media are compiling results from images of forms that the commission uploaded on to its website from more than 46,000 polling stations, a mammoth task that means their tallies differ, and lag far behind the amount of raw data available.



Amid concerns that those discrepancies&nbsp;could&nbsp;trigger&nbsp;claims of rigging, which have sparked&nbsp;deadly&nbsp;violence&nbsp;after recent ballot, many are urging their fellow&nbsp;citizens&nbsp;&#8211; after a largely peaceful election &#8211;&nbsp;to wait&nbsp;patiently&nbsp;for the official results.



Outside a butcher&#8217;s shop in the western town of Eldoret, dozens of men backslapped each other as they crowded round to read the latest headlines and argued over the relative merits of Ruto and Odinga.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/dead-heat-for-kenya-presidency-as-election-results-trickle-in/">Dead heat for Kenya presidency as election results trickle in</a></h3>



But they all expressed faith in the commission&#8217;s ability to deliver a true result.



&#8220;This (radio) station is saying this; this station is saying that &#8211; we don’t engage with those figures,&#8221; said 22-year old driver Ian Kipchirchir.



&#8220;Only the IEBC (The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission) has the truth.. We trust the IEBC.&#8221;



Scrutinising newspaper headlines two streets away, Ongao Okello added:&nbsp;&#8220;There is so much impatience&#8230;&nbsp;Given the experience that we have in Kenya, we have to be patient and just wait.&#8221;



More than 1,200 people were killed in widespread violence that followed the 2007 election, and more than 100 died after the 2017 polls.



That history adds to scrutiny on an electoral commission wary of repeating mistakes in tallying that caused the Supreme Court to nullify the 2017 result and order a re-run.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lower-turnout">LOWER TURNOUT</h2>



The 2022 outcome is&nbsp;being watched carefully&nbsp;overseas too.



Kenya is the region&#8217;s richest economy, a stable nation in a volatile region and a close Western ally that hosts regional headquarters for Alphabet&nbsp;GOOGL.O, Visa&nbsp;V.N&nbsp;and other international groups.



International observers were generally positive about the election, despite some last-minute printing problems, changes to procedures and inconsistencies in posting results.



Amnesty International however said political parties were intentionally spreading confusion by sharing false reports.



&#8220;Several posts by both KENYA KWANZA and AZIMIO candidates and their supporters have intentionally sought to misinform the electorate &#8230;on the electoral process and the election results,&#8221; a statement by the rights group said, referring to Ruto and Odinga&#8217;s political alliances.



Former U.S. ambassador Johnnie Carson &#8211; a board member of the National Democratic Institute, an election monitor &#8211; said the process needed to be trustworthy more than it needed to be fast.



&#8220;The technology should not outpace the trust and integrity the citizens have in the process,&#8221; he said.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/early-signs-show-tight-kenyan-presidential-election/">Early signs show tight Kenyan presidential election</a></h3>



Meanwhile,&nbsp;media&nbsp;outlets are filling the information gap.



By 1500 GMT on Thursday, the privately-owned Nation group had tallied results from 89% of polling stations and put Ruto ahead with 50.20% of the vote and Odinga at 49.12%.



At the same time, privately-owned Citizen gave Ruto 49.09% of the vote and Odinga 49.51%.



According to a Reuters tally of 98 out of 291 constituency-level results forms at 1500 GMT, Odinga had 51.5% votes and Ruto had 47.86%.



Outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta has reached his two-term limit. He has endorsed Odinga after falling out with Ruto after the last election.



The winning candidate must get 50% of the vote plus one to win, and at least a quarter of votes in 24 out of Kenya&#8217;s 47 counties. If there is no outright winner, there will be a second round of voting without the two presidential candidates currently receiving less thanone percent between them.



Many Kenyans, frustrated by the shifting alliances of the elites and fed up of rising prices and corruption, didn&#8217;t bother to vote&nbsp;in Tuesday&#8217;s round&nbsp;at all.



The commission said&nbsp;turnout for the ballot, which also included legislative and local elections, was&nbsp;about 65%,&nbsp;down from&nbsp;nearly 80%&nbsp;in 2017.



(Additional reporting by Katharine Houreld and Duncan Miriri in Nairobi, Ayenat Mersie in Eldoret, Daud Yussuf in Garissa; Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Toby Chopra, Alexandra Hudson and John Stonestreet)

PZR3Z6K4CJLSVMXFXVQLCBZREA-1

Kenyans anxious for news on next president, two days after tight vote

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ZQXJT2YCLFPHTIL3OETS2H7WIQ-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419132" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ZQXJT2YCLFPHTIL3OETS2H7WIQ-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ZQXJT2YCLFPHTIL3OETS2H7WIQ-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ZQXJT2YCLFPHTIL3OETS2H7WIQ-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ZQXJT2YCLFPHTIL3OETS2H7WIQ-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ZQXJT2YCLFPHTIL3OETS2H7WIQ.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the President’s Office in Urugwiro Village in Kigali, Rwanda August 11, 2022. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS</figcaption></figure>



KIGALI, Aug 11 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday he had raised with Rwanda&#8217;s president U.S. concerns over the jailing of Paul Rusesabagina, portrayed in the film &#8220;Hotel Rwanda&#8221; sheltering hundreds of people during the 1994 genocide.



Rusesabagina, 67, a U.S. permanent resident, was sentenced last September to 25 years in prison over eight terrorism charges tied to an organization opposed to President Paul Kagame&#8217;s rule.



Rwanda&#8217;s foreign minister Vincent Biruta said he was convicted lawfully, but Rusesabagina has denied all the charges and refused to take part in a trial that he and his supporters have called a political sham. The United States in May determined he had been wrongfully detained.



Rusesabagina, who was feted around the world after being portrayed by actor Don Cheadle in 2004&#8217;s &#8220;Hotel Rwanda,&#8221; is a vocal critic of Kagame. He is being held in a Rwandan prison.



Speaking at a joint press conference with Biruta in the capital Kigali, Blinken said Washington had been clear about its concerns related to Rusesabagina&#8217;s trial and conviction, particularly what he described as &#8220;the lack of fair trial guarantees.&#8221;



&#8220;We continue to urge the government to address concerns about the legal protections afforded to him and his case and establish safeguards to prevent similar outcomes in the future,&#8221; Blinken said.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-blinken-visits-rwanda-in-testing-moment-for-old-u-s-ally-kagame">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/blinken-visits-rwanda-in-testing-moment-for-old-u-s-ally-kagame/">Blinken visits Rwanda in testing moment for old U.S. ally Kagame</a></h3>



Blinken said he had discussed Rusesabagina&#8217;s case with Kagame in his meeting earlier on Thursday but declined to say how Kagame responded.



Biruta pushed back on Blinken&#8217;s comments.



&#8220;He was arrested. He was tried and convicted along with 20 others, 20 other accomplices for serious crimes &#8230; And this was done lawfully under both the Rwandan and international laws. Therefore, Rwanda will continue to abide by our laws and the decisions made by our judiciary,&#8221; Biruta said.



Rusesabagina has acknowledged having a leadership role in the Rwanda Movement for Democratic Change (MRCD), but denied responsibility for attacks carried out by its armed wing, the National Liberation Front (FLN). The trial judges said the two groups were indistinguishable.



Rusesabagina&#8217;s family, and the families of other Americans and U.S. permanent residents also jailed abroad, have asked U.S. President Joe Biden to intervene to secure the release of their loved ones.



Washington&#8217;s &#8220;wrongfully detained&#8221; designation means the responsibility for Rusesabagina&#8217;s case will be transferred from the State Department&#8217;s Bureau of Consular Affairs to the office of the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, effectively raising the issue&#8217;s political profile.



Biden has also come under growing pressure from families after the detention and conviction of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner in Russia, which has boosted the prominence of the issue. Washington and Moscow have been engaged in talks for a potential prisoner swap for Griner and Paul Whelan, a former U.S. marine also detained in Russia.



(Writing by Humeyra Pamuk; Additional reporting by Njuwa Maina; Editing by David Holmes)

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