NAIROBI – Kenya’s one-time opposition leader Raila Odinga is slightly ahead of incumbent Vice President William Ruto in the presidential race, partial official results showed on Saturday.
Odinga won 52.54% of the vote to Ruto’s 46.76%, according to figures released by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in the early afternoon based on results from around 30% of polling stations.
Kenyans are still awaiting final results five days after the country, considered one of Africa’s most vibrant democracies, went to the polls on Tuesday.
Odinga, 77, is taking his fifth shot at the top job with the backing of his longtime challenger, incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has already served two terms and is no longer eligible.
Ruto, 55, has been vice president for nearly a decade but was sidelined in the rain after a 2018 pact between Odinga and Kenyatta stunned the nation.
The Electoral Commission acknowledged on Friday that the vote count was proceeding too slowly after urging the nation to be patient.
It also denied that its results portal had been compromised and insisted that its systems were secure.
Kenyans were perplexed when television stations, which covered the elections continuously, suddenly stopped broadcasting preliminary results on Thursday.
The election is seen as a test of the stability of East Africa’s powerhouse, whose previous votes have been marred by manipulation and lethal force.
Although the long campaign was bitter and marred by misinformation, polling day was largely peaceful, with independent observers saying the vote went smoothly, if not without difficulty.
The winner of the presidential race must receive 50% plus one vote and at least a quarter of the votes in 24 of Kenya’s 47 districts.
- AFP
