Observers praise Kenyan election as Kenyatta takes the lead
Despite pockets of protests, EU and US observers say there is no sign of manipulation, with the final tally expected on Friday
Nairobi — On Thursday, international observers praised the handling of Kenya’s presidential election, with the EU mission saying it had seen no sign of manipulation despite opposition complaints and scattered protests. Police fired live rounds and tear gas as they clashed with opposition supporters in one Nairobi neighbourhood, but most of the capital and the rest of the country were calm after four people were killed in violence on Wednesday. President Uhuru Kenyatta had taken a commanding lead but his rival, veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, has rejected provisional electronic results saying figures released so far are "fictitious" and that election systems had been hacked. As they wait for final results to be tallied and confirmed, many Kenyans are nervous of a repeat of the clashes that killed about 1,200 people after a bitterly contested 2007 election. In its first assessment of Tuesday’s poll, the EU’s election observer mission said it had seen no signs of "centralised o...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.