Raila Odinga, Kenya’s opposition leader, has spoken out against the country’s plan to lead a peacekeeping mission in Haiti to tackle gang violence, calling it a “wrong move.”
In an interview with a local TV station on Thursday, Mr. Odinga stated that deploying Kenyan police to Haiti was not a top priority for Kenya, emphasizing that the East African region already faced significant challenges.
He questioned the rationale behind selecting Kenya to lead a multinational force in Haiti, which is geographically closer to the United States, the world’s most powerful nation.
Mr. Odinga expressed concern about the dangerous situation in Haiti, warning that the planned deployment could put the lives of Kenyan police officers at risk. He argued that the crisis in Haiti was primarily political and required diplomatic negotiations rather than a military response.
On Monday, the United Nations Security Council approved the deployment of Kenyan police for a year, subject to a review after nine months. President William Ruto of Kenya pledged not to let down the people of Haiti. However, there have been critics who doubt the capacity of Kenyan police to address the challenges posed by Haiti’s gangs.
The 8th Devolution Conference is currently taking place in Eldoret, and remarks made by US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman have alarmed Azimio One Kenya Alliance. Senators and the leader of the opposition, Raila Odinga, have urged her to stay out of domestic affairs.
Odinga, who was greeted at the conference location by Council of Governors (CoG) Chairperson Ms. Anne Waiguru and a number of governors, including Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii, started his remarks with the Swahili phrase: ‘nyani haoni kundule,’ translated to ‘the monkey does not see his ass,’ pointing at insincerity on Ruto’s government.
A day after Whitman pledged her support for President William Ruto’s administration, recognizing his victory in last year’s presidential elections as legitimate and promising the current administration complete support and closer ties with the US government, Odinga reprimanded the ambassador on Thursday. Senators from the Azimio political party described the envoy’s remarks as insensitive to Kenyans in light of the current situation in the nation.
“I want to tell the rogue ambassador, leave Kenyans alone,” Odinga said in his parting shot while delivering a keynote address at the Devolution conference on Thursday afternoon.
“If ‘maandamano’ (demos) can lead to dialogue between Ichungwah and Kalonzo, then everything is good in ‘maandamano’ (demos),” he stated, cheering from a section of the delegates.
“Tell the rogue ambassador, Kenya is neither the US nor is it a colony of the United States. Keep your mouth shut while you are here. Otherwise, we will call for your recall back to your country,” he added.
The response from the opposition leader came shortly after his contingent of senators from the Azimio brigade criticized the US envoy’s statements during a press conference at the Devolution conference. In her comments at the conference, the US envoy openly endorsed President William Ruto’s election, a move that drew strong rebuke from the Azimio senators.
The outcome of the 2022 General Election was fiercely disputed by the Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya coalition. The disagreement escalated to the Supreme Court, which ultimately upheld Ruto’s victory, much to the Opposition’s dissatisfaction.
In her speech, while advocating for Kenya as a prime investment destination for the global community, Whitman did not shy away from expressing her optimism about the nation’s investment potential and climate. She noted that the Ruto administration had made significant advancements and was dedicated to cultivating a business-friendly atmosphere.
Having assumed her role in Kenya in July 2023, just prior to the last general election, the US envoy indicated her focus on strengthening the US-Kenya trade relationship in conjunction with the government.
“I arrived in Kenya days before the August 2022 General Election. What I witnessed was nothing short of remarkable. Kenya held what many analysts said was the freest, fairest, and most credible election in Kenyan history,” she stated.
She continued, “The elections were observed by international organizations and upheld by the Supreme Court, and power was peacefully and normally transferred at that time.”
These remarks struck a sensitive chord with the Azimio brigade of the opposition, as they had vehemently contested the 2022 General Election results. Azimio perceived the envoy’s comments as intrusive into Kenya’s internal affairs, and their discontent with her statements was palpable.
On a separate note, Raila commended the governors for setting aside their differences “and taking a break from our divisive politics to chart a path forward for Kenya.”
Prior to Raila’s attendance at the devolution forum, the Azimio senators had also convened a press conference to criticize Whitman’s comments. They described her remarks as unfortunate and expressed the hope that they reflected her personal stance rather than the official position of the American government.
In the midst of widespread protests, Kenya’s opposition leader, Raila Odinga, says he intends to start a fund for “families who lost their loved ones and those still in hospital receiving treatment.”
The Azimio coalition leader stated that more donations might be made to the fund while speaking to the International Press Association of East Africa’s members on Tuesday morning.
A different kind of protest is being called for on Wednesday from 06:00 to 18:00 instead of the additional demonstrations that were originally scheduled. He declared that they would organise vigils and parades of support for those who had been the victims of police brutality in various cities across the nation.
“We condole with the families who have lost loved ones and they are the reason as to why we called off the demos,” he added.
In the most recent opposition protests against the growing cost of living and tax increases, Kenya’s police have been engaged in clashes with demonstrators.
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga cites a “bad flu” as the reason for his absence from the three-day street protests, which he had initiated to protest against the rising cost of living and tax hikes.
“It is not a must that opposition leaders have to be seen on the streets,” Mr Odinga told a Kenyan TV station about the protests that are due to end today.
The veteran politician, who lost disputed presidential elections last year, said “game-changing” demonstrations belonged to the people and were not his alone.
He denied suggestions his absence was a ploy to do a deal with President William Ruto, adding he was not seeking to be a part of the government.
“We have not, and we will not seek a ‘handshake arrangement’,” the opposition leader said referring to the name for the deal he made with the previous President, Uhuru Kenyatta. President Ruto remains firm in his stance, asserting that he will not enter into any negotiations with Mr. Odinga to address the current deadlock.
Last Thursday, he commended the police’s response to the protests after the police chief expressed concerns about the demonstrations posing a threat to national security.
Riot officers were deployed across the country in response.
However, the security forces’ handling of the protesters has drawn criticism, resulting in multiple fatalities.
This week’s anti-government protests have seen significantly lower participation compared to previous demonstrations.
On Wednesday and Thursday, many individuals chose to stay at home, apprehensive of potential violence.
Nonetheless, as Friday dawns, there are signs of a return to normalcy, with schools and businesses reopening.
The opposition’s three designated meeting points for Friday’s protests, including one in Nairobi’s central business district, seem deserted with little or no activity.
Leading Kenyan publications have urged the country’s president, William Ruto, and the head of the opposition, Raila Odinga, “to consider if they want any more blood on their individual hands” as protests against recent tax rises enter their second day in the nation.
Six people were reportedly murdered on Wednesday after clashes between Kenyan police and protesters, according to local media.
In a joint editorial today, The Standard, Daily Nation, The Star and People Daily said Kenya “stands on the precipice”.
“Unless reason prevails, we could all very well tumble down into a dark and dangerous abyss from which it could be almost impossible to extricate ourselves,” the editorial said.
It added that Mr Ruto and Mr Odinga have the “greatest responsibility to put out the fire before it spreads out of control”.
The newspapers issued a warning stating that Kenya was susceptible to experiencing civil wars similar to those witnessed in neighboring countries in the past. They cautioned that the nation could potentially descend into “full-scale genocide.”
In light of ongoing protests, the press emphasized the importance of responsible demonstrations and urged the police to refrain from using excessive force against protesters.
Furthermore, some Kenyans on social media called upon the International Criminal Court (ICC) to take notice of alleged human rights violations committed by security forces during the protests.
In response to recent events, the Media Council of Kenya condemned cases where police officers disguised themselves as journalists to arrest protesters. The media watchdog expressed concern that such incidents put journalists at risk while carrying out their duties.
New demands from Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga have the potential to scuttle the bipartisan negotiations that President William Ruto began on Sunday.
Once the opposition’s protests were put on hold, the two, who ran against one other in the 2016 presidential election, decided to initiate discussions over the electoral commission’s reconstitution.
The opposition’s demands that the topic also address the nation’s skyrocketing cost of living have gone unmentioned by President Ruto, who is adamant that the bipartisan negotiations should be conducted through parliament.
On Tuesday, Mr. Odinga requested that President Ruto take the conversation outside of parliament in order to address the issue of rising costs.
He said a strictly parliamentary process may not address their concerns and proposed broad-based talks akin to what led to the 2008 National Accord – a post-election deal brokered by the then UN chief Koffi Annan.
“We assure our people and Kenyans that our eyes are firmly on the ball, and reiterate that we shall go back to the people at the earliest sign of lack of seriousness by the other side,” Mr Odinga said.
The opposition chief also claimed there were attempts to tamper with the electoral servers, which he demands to be forensically audited.
The ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party has accused Mr Odinga of holding the proposed talks at ransom and dismissed his fresh demands as unreasonable.
Speaking in Rwanda on Tuesday, President Ruto ruled out the possibility of any agreement that would co-opt the opposition into his government.
Mr Odinga had last month launched twice-a-week protests to push for what he termed as electoral justice and action on the cost-of-living crisis.
The head of the opposition, Raila Odinga, has told the international media that Kenyan President William Ruto’s decision to abandon a harsh stance in the face of opposition protests to open the door for discussions.
Once the protests over the high cost of living and suspected electoral irregularities started, President Ruto spoke to the nation for the first time on Sunday.
The president agreed to one of Mr Odinga’s demands – a bipartisan engagement in parliament on the formation of the next electoral commission.
But he suggested he won’t engage the opposition leader on his other demands, including the cost of living and legitimacy of his presidency.
In a BBC interview, Mr Odinga welcomed Mr Ruto’s “climbdown” and insisted that all issues must be put on the table.
Quote Message: Mr Ruto came up with what you can call an olive branch. He said he’s now ready to do negotiations. This is basically a climbdown.”
Mr Ruto came up with what you can call an olive branch. He said he’s now ready to do negotiations. This is basically a climbdown.”
Quote Message: That’s why we said that we can embrace dialogue so long as he’s ready to put all the issues that we are talking about on the table.”
That’s why we said that we can embrace dialogue so long as he’s ready to put all the issues that we are talking about on the table.”
Four opposition Kenyan MPs have had their charges against them dismissed a day after opposition leader Raila Odinga agreed to call off rallies and seek discussions with President William Ruto.
Thousands of people rushed to the streets when the four were detained for unlawful assembly a fortnight ago.
Following his rejection of the results of the election from the previous year and his criticism of the government’s response to the cost-of-living crisis, Mr. Odinga had called for rallies twice a week.
Several altercations took place between police and young protesters.
The country’s stability has been challenged by the conflict between Kenya’s rival politicians, so any chance of discussion is warmly welcomed.
Despite a police ban, Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga said protests against PRairesident William Ruto’s administration over the high cost of living would proceed as planned.
Hours after accusing Vice President Rigathi Gachagua of “coordinating a campaign of mayhem” against the anticipated demonstrations, Odinga called for protests on Monday and Thursday in a tweet.
Last week, violent protests broke out in Nairobi and other places, resulting in the death of one person. More than 200 persons were detained by the police, including members of both chambers of parliament who are affiliated with Odinga’s One Kenya Coalition Party.
The protests organized by Odinga are now prohibited, according to Kenya’s police chief, who also noted that such actions are still illegal.
“We have been restraining ourselves. We cannot do that any more,” Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome told reporters at a media briefing. “We are ready as the police force to maintain peace.”
During last week’s protests, police used tear gas and water cannon, including at Odinga’s convoy. Nairobi’s central business district had a heavy police presence before Monday’s planned rallies.
Odinga, 78, has called for indefinite twice-weekly protests, citing the high cost of staples such as maize flour, which has kept inflation high. He also has accused Ruto of cheating in last year’s presidential election.
In a brief speech to protesters lining up to greet him as he entered Nairobi on Monday, former prime minister and leader of the Kenyan opposition Raila Odinga called for weekly nationwide demonstrations against the high cost of living.
According to his senior adviser Makau Mutua, moments earlier, police in Nairobi shot tear gas and water cannons at his car as they barred his supporters from entering the Serena Hotel, where he was scheduled to hold a news conference.
The protest leader was then forced to move to another part of Nairobi as police prevented his car from entering the Central Business District, where demonstrators and police have been fighting since early in the morning.
“We shall use all available, peaceful, and constitutional means to vindicate our rights,” Odinga said from the sunroof of his car.
Afterward, Odinga drove around Nairobi alongside protesters following his motorcade, which has been repeatedly tear-gassed.
Hundreds of people across the country have taken to the streets to protest against the high cost of daily life.
arrested protesters, including senior opposition politicians, as demonstrations escalated by mid-day local time Monday.
Odinga, who lost the presidential election for a fifth time in August, called for nationwide protests to demonstrate against what he claims, without evidence, is an illegitimate government that stole the election.
Kilifi county senator Stewart Madzayo and Ugunja sub-county lawmaker Opiyo Wandayi were among those arrested and held in Nairobi, according to Odinga’s senior adviser Mutua. Six other officials were also arrested in the capital, he confirmed to CNN, adding the party was still trying to assess the number of arrests.
Members of Odinga’s party accused police of disrupting what they said were peaceful protests and demanded authorities immediately release the arrested politicians.
Police clashed with protesters in Nairobi’s city center, with businesses in the city center shuttered for the day, and in Nairobi’s Kibera slum, where Odinga has substantial support. Clashes were reported in the city of Kisumu, in western Kenya, which is considered a stronghold for Odinga.
High inflation and soaring food prices in the country has led to a cost-of-living crisis for many in Kenya. “We will sustain the protests [beyond Monday] until we get what we deserve,” Mutua said.
A spokesperson for the Kenyan police could not be immediately reached.
The opposition leader of Kenya, Raila Odinga has been wounded by tear gas and water cannons as well as a gunshot, according to a tweet from his aide.
Uncertain of the exact location of the purported “damage,” Mr. Odinga has been driving a convoy of cars through residential neighborhoods on a day of protest against the poverty that most Kenyans face.
Additionally, he has been using the demonstrations to support his unsupported assertion that he, not William Ruto, was the real winner of last year’s presidential elections.
The protests have disrupted business operations in the capital Nairobi and in Mr Odinga’s stronghold of Kisumu in western Kenya.
Following the election commission chair’s declaration of William Ruto as the winner, protests temporarily erupted in a number of the strongholds of Raila Odinga, the opposition candidate. It’s unclear if there will be any additional demonstrations.
The highest court of Kenya has dismissed a challenge to the official results of the presidential election.
Opposition candidate Raila Odinga had alleged irregularities in the otherwise peaceful election on 9 August, which was won by deputy president William Ruto.
The court found there was little or no evidence for various claims, including accusations of misconduct, and called some of them “nothing more than hot air.”
Protests briefly broke out in several of Mr Odinga’s strongholds after the election commission chair declared Mr Ruto the winner on 15 August, but Mr Odinga urged his supporters to stay peaceful.
It is not clear whether the court’s decision could lead to further protests.
Had the results gone the other way, it would not have been the first time an election outcome had been challenged successfully.
He then boycotted the fresh election that was ordered, allowing President Uhuru Kenyatta to take power.
At the time, about 100 people were killed in election-related clashes.
This time, Mr Odinga was backed by Mr Kenyatta, his former opponent, illustrating how political alliances can shift in East Africa’s most stable democracy.
Mr Ruto had been declared the winner even though four of the seven election commissioners had disowned the result announced by the commission chairman, claiming the count had been opaque.
Image:Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga
The supreme court criticised the commission, saying it “needs far-reaching reforms” before questioning whether “are we to nullify an election on the basis of a last-minute boardroom rupture?”
Mr Ruto will become Kenya’s fifth president at a time when the east African nation faces several challenges, including billions of dollars in loans and surging prices of basic commodities such as food and fuel.
Kenya‘s defeated presidential candidate Raila Odinga filed a petition to the country’s top court Monday, challenging the outcome of the August 9 election in what he called a fight for “democracy and good governance”.
Odinga, a veteran opposition leader who ran with the backing of President Uhuru Kenyatta and the ruling party, has rejected the outcome of the poll that delivered victory to his rival William Ruto, branding it a “travesty”.
The 77-year-old politician lost his fifth bid for the presidency by a narrow margin of around 230,000 votes — less than two percentage points.
Hundreds of supporters cheered as dozens of boxes of evidence were unloaded from a truck outside the Supreme Court.
“We have enough evidence that it is us who won the election. We didn’t have an election we can be proud of,” Odinga told a press conference after filing the case.
The outcome of the poll represented a “continuing struggle pitting the forces for democracy and good governance against the corruption cartels that… will stop at nothing to take control of government,” he said, without giving specific details.
“The action we have taken… affirms our deep belief in constitutionalism, the rule of law and a peaceful resolution of disputes.”
Although polling day passed off peacefully, the announcement of the results a week ago sparked angry protests in some Odinga strongholds and there are fears a drawn-out dispute may lead to violence in a country with a history of post-poll unrest.
Since 2002, no presidential election in Kenya has gone uncontested, with this year’s outcome also causing a rift within the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) which oversaw the poll.
According to a copy of the 72-page petition, Odinga’s team alleges that IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati failed to tally around 140,000 votes.
As a result, Ruto “did not meet the constitutional threshold of 50% plus 1 of the valid votes cast” — a requirement for him to be declared the winner.
Judges now have 14 days to issue a ruling. If they order an annulment, a new vote must be held within 60 days.
– ‘We want justice’ –
Odinga supporters began gathering outside the court hours before his arrival, blowing whistles and waving placards reading “Electoral Justice Now!” and “We want justice now”.
“Odinga must win so that we get the 6,000 shillings ($50) promised in his manifesto,” said one man, wearing a crown made with plants who was referring to a monthly cash handout for vulnerable households.
Another man — armed with a Bible and wearing huge green glasses — knelt down in prayer as police guarded the court premises.
A court clerk said the tribunal had also received another eight petitions over the results filed by voters, politicians and non-profit organisations.
The IEBC was under heavy pressure to deliver a clean vote after facing sharp criticism over its handling of the August 2017 election, which was also challenged by Odinga.
The court annulled that election in a first for Africa and ordered a re-run which was boycotted by Odinga. Dozens of people died during a police crackdown on protests.
In a shock development shortly before the results of this year’s poll were announced, four of the IEBC’s seven commissioners accused chairman Chebukati of running an “opaque” operation and later said the numbers did not add up.
Chebukati dismissed the claims, insisting he had carried out his duties according to the law of the land despite “intimidation and harassment”.
– Divided opinion –
Legal experts are divided on whether Chebukati needed the commissioners’ backing to announce the results, with constitutional lawyer Charles Kanjama said there was “some ambiguity” surrounding the issue.
Odinga has previously said he was cheated of victory in the 2007, 2013 and 2017 elections, and the poll’s aftermath is being keenly watched as a test of democratic maturity in the East African powerhouse.
On the campaign trail, both frontrunners pledged to resolve any disputes in court rather than on the streets.
Since the results were declared, Odinga has commended his supporters for “remaining calm” while Ruto has taken a conciliatory tone and promised to “work with all leaders”.
Kenya’s worst electoral violence occurred after the 2007 vote, when more than 1,100 people died in politically motivated clashes involving rival tribes.
If the Supreme Court upholds the results, Ruto will become Kenya’s fifth president since independence from Britain in 1963, taking the reins of a country battling inflation, high unemployment and a crippling drought.
Presidential candidate Raila Odinga has formally filed a petition challenging the election results in Kenya’sSupreme Court on Monday, according to one of Odinga’s lawyers, Daniel Maanzo.
The petition was filed online Monday morning with a physical copy expected to arrive at the court’s registry in Nairobi before the 2p local time deadline.
Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja (Aspiration to Unite) coalition claimed it had enough evidence in the petition to prove misconduct by the electoral commission after the August 9th presidential election that resulted in a narrow win for Deputy President William Ruto.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s results said Ruto, 55, won with 50.49% of the vote against Odinga’s 48.85%.
This is Odinga’s fifth time running and third time challenging his loss in presidential elections through the Supreme Court, having filed a case after the last two elections in 2013 and 2017.
In 2017, the Supreme Court ordered a re-election to be held, which was boycotted by Odinga who again lost to incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“We have a strong petition and we’re hopeful that it will go through,” Maanzo told CNN on Monday. “We’re asking the court to decide if the constitution was followed in declaring the presidential results. If it was not within the constitution, then it is null and void.”
The Supreme Court has 14 days from Monday to hear Odinga’s case and deliver a verdict.
If the seven judges rule in favor of 77-year-old Odinga, they could order a recount of votes, a fresh election, or award Odinga the presidency.
The official results show that Mr. Odinga fell short against Deputy President William Ruto.
The head of the election board was charged by Mr. Odinga with “blatant contempt for the constitution.”
“We totally without reservation reject the presidential election results,” he said.
Making his remarks in front of supporters in the capital, Nairobi, he said that there was “neither a legally elected winner nor a president-elect”.
The 77-year-old long-time opposition leader was running for president for the fifth time. He has challenged the results in the previous two elections, including successfully in 2017.
This time around, the chairman of the electoral body Wafula Chebukat said he got 48.8% of the vote in last Tuesday’s election compared to Mr. Ruto’s 50.5%.
Mr. Odinga accused Mr. Chebukati of “gross impunity” saying his team will pursue all legal options. He called his declaration “a major setback” to Kenya’s democracy that could trigger a political crisis.
He said that Mr. Chebukati went against the law by announcing the result without the backing of his fellow commissioners. But an ally of Mr. Ruto, Musalia Mudavadi, told BBC Focus on Africa radio that commissioners are required to collate the results but do not determine the result.
This is a legal point that may in the end have to be tested in court.
Minutes before Mr. Odinga spoke, four of seven electoral commissioners who refused to approve Monday’s results, held a press conference to give their reasons.
Juliana Cherera, the vice-chairperson of the commission, said that if you added the percentages as announced by the chairperson of the commission the sum came to 100.01%.
But the BBC’s Reality Check team says that this was down to a rounding error and is not suspicious.
Mr. Odinga has however commended the four commissioners for their “heroism”.
“The majority of (the electoral commission) – who stood up to the bullying and illegal conduct of Mr. Chebukati, we are proud of them and ask them not to fear anything. Kenyans are with them,” he said.
On Monday, Mr. Ruto described the objections of the commissioners as a “side-show”, but said he would respect a legal process. He also called for unity, saying he wanted to be a president for all, and for the country to focus on the future.
Last week’s election was largely peaceful. The electoral commission was widely praised for conducting a transparent process by posting on its website results from more than 46,000 polling stations and encouraging anyone to conduct their own tally.
However, scuffles broke out at the counting center on Monday after Mr. Odinga’s supporters accused the electoral commission of tampering with votes and attempted to block Mr. Chebukati from announcing the final results. At least three poll officials were injured in the melee.
Calm has been restored in the country after a mixture of celebrations and violent protests followed the official declaration of the presidential results.
Thousands of supporters, clad in yellow, Mr. Ruto’s party colors, poured onto the streets of Eldoret in the Rift Valley. In contrast in the western city of Kisumu, Mr. Odinga’s supporters blocked roads and lit bonfires. Similar scenes played out in several towns and in the capital, Nairobi.
Generally ,there is a sense of relief that the counting process is over because the election season often means that life grinds to a halt.
But people will be paying attention to Mr. Odinga’s plans to file a case at the Supreme Court.
With almost half of the results from Kenya’s presidential election now confirmed, the two main candidates are running neck and neck.
Deputy President William Ruto has taken a slight lead over ex-Prime Minister Raila Odinga – 51% against 48%.
The head of the electoral commission has admitted that announcing the result of Tuesday’s election is too slow.
The verification of results has been stopped several times after complaints by supporters of the main candidates.
On Saturday night, Mr Odinga’ssupporters entered a restricted area and accosted electoral officials, accusing them of tampering with the vote.
Amid the melee, Mr Odinga’s chief campaign manager was able to get to the lectern used by top electoral commission officials, where he criticised the result verification process.
“I want to announce to the nation that Bomas of Kenya is a scene of crime,” said Saitabao Ole Kanchory, before the microphone was switched off and he was led away. Bomas is the name of the cultural centre in the capital, Nairobi, which is being used as the main tallying centre.
Mr Ruto’s supporters accused their opponents of interfering with the tallying process.
Riot police have been deployed inside the building to reinforce security.
There have been calls for peace from several leaders and bodies including the Catholic church which asked for “patience and civility” and urged the main candidates to show “restraint and statesmanship” as anxiety grows.
“I want to become an instrument to bring peace, to heal, unite and keep the hope alive in our country,” Mr Odinga said on Sunday morning at a church service in Nairobi, his first public remarks since election day.
The results of 141 of the 292 constituencies have now been confirmed, according to a BBC tally of official announcements.
Media organisations have been releasing provisional tallies using official data from the 46,000 polling stations. They also show a tight race between the two candidates.
About 14 million votes were cast – a turnout of 65%.
The electoral commission has until Tuesday 16 August to declare the winner.
“We have to make adjustments” to quicken the process of verifying results, the head of the electoral body Wafula Chebukati said in his latest briefing on Saturday.
“It’s taking three to four hours” to process the result from a single constituency, he said. “Some of our returning officers have stayed here for three days sitting on chairs, which is totally unacceptable.”
Kenya’s vote counting system has not been hacked amid a tense wait for results of Tuesday’s presidential election, a top poll official has said.
“Nothing like that has happened. It is misinformation,” said the electoral commission’s CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan.
Social media has been awash with allegations that fake results have been uploaded as the count is verified.
Media tallies show the two leading candidates – Raila Odinga and William Ruto – are neck and neck.
But it is only the electoral commission that can declare the winner – and it has seven days to do so.
“We anticipated that people would try to hack our systems… we assure the whole country that our systems are actually secure,” Mr Marjan told reporters on Friday afternoon.
Earlier electoral head Wafula Chebukati emphasised there was no need to panic when seeing differences in tallying numbers from various media groups as they would look similar in the end: “The results are from the same public portal; the approach [of each broadcaster] is different.”
Kenya presidential results 2022
In order to win in the first round, a candidate must get 50% plus one of the cast vote and at least 25% of the votes in 24 out of 47 counties.
LIVEÂ RESULTS
Last updated: 08/12/2022, 14:04:14 local time (GMT+3)
Provisional results from IEBC
Candidates
Vote
William Ruto
52.9%
5,350,472
Raila Odinga
46.4%
4,696,298
Â
Other Candidates
0.6%
66,835
What is happening at the main tallying centre?
Based at a cultural centre called Bomas in the capital, Nairobi, officials from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) are busy verifying results.
On Friday, Mr Chebukati admitted he felt the process was taking too long, blaming party agents.
His officials are comparing photographs of result forms from more than 46,000 polling stations nationwide to physical forms being brought to centre by officials from each of the 290 constituencies.
This is to ensure that the results match.
This is witnessed by party agents from the main parties, who Mr Chebukati says keep stalling by turning a straightforward exercise into a “forensic” one.
He said officials should not take more than 15 minutes to verify a result.
Counting in some polling stations was also delayed and travel to Nairobi, especially by officials from far-flung areas, could be a further factor in slowing things down
Verification was also halted for a time on Friday after a scuffle broke out, allegedly involving someone without accreditation seen with a laptop – but the IEBC said it turned out not to be suspicious.
How are the media tallies compiled?
Teams of journalists working for various outlets have been engaged in the laborious task of uploading the figures received from each of the polling stations one-by-one.
Each media house is doing it a different speed and choosing the polling stations in a different order.
By Friday morning, local media had slowed down their count – though the reason is not clear, some saying staff were exhausted.
Mr Chebukati said he had hoped media groups would have clubbed together to tally the results, but they had decided to each go it alone.
How are Kenyans feeling?
There is a sense of anxiety in the country as disputed elections in the past have led to violence or the whole process being cancelled.
Following the 2007 vote, at least 1,200 people were killed and 600,000 fled their homes following claims of a stolen election.
In 2017, huge logistical errors led the Supreme Court to annul the result and order the presidential poll to be re-run.
The country often grinds to a halt during elections, activities across the country have slowed and schools remain closed at least until next week on Monday. In Nairobi’s central business district, the usually busy streets are mostly deserted.
Allegations of election rigging are as old as the country. It was part of politics even before multiparty elections were re-introduced in the 1990s, but the push for free and fair elections has never faltered.
After the violence that followed the 2007 election, political parties and activists argued for the use of technology instead of physical registers, which could be easily manipulated, to verify voters.
This year’s election is the third time technology has been used but it has yet to deliver an election that has not been challenged in the courts.
Meanwhile, a group of top civil servants told reporters on Friday that preparations for a smooth handover of power would get under way as soon as the electoral commission announced the president-elect.
When will we know the result?
It’s unclear when the final results will be known, but the electoral commission has started announcing verified counts from the 290 constituencies.
If there is a clear leader of the race, celebrations are likely to break out – but only the IEBC can make it official.
To win the presidential race in the first round, a candidate needs:
more than half of all the votes cast across the country
at least 25% of the votes cast in a minimum of 24 counties.
Otherwise voting goes to a second round which by law has to happen by 8 September.
International tabloids are reporting that Kenya’s 2022 Presidential election is seeing tight race between Deputy President William Ruto and former prime minister Raila Odinga.
Provisional results already indicate that it would not be easy-peasy for any of the candidates.
It is unknown who is in lead position but more 90% of results posted from thousands of individual districts, local tallies of the raw data suggest little separates the pair.
Mr Odinga, 77, who is a long-serving opposition leader, nicknamed Baba (“father”) by his supporters, is running for the fifth time. Outgoing president Uhuru Kenyatta is backing Mr Odinga.
Mr Ruto aged 55 is making his first move in the presidency race.
Two other candidates; David Mwaure and George Wajackoya are also in the race.
It could be several days before the official result is known.
This vote follows an intense campaign dominated by debates about living costs, unemployment and corruption.
Turnout is estimated at around 60%, well short of the 80% in the last election five years ago.
A largely peaceful election day was marred by logistical delays and a failure of the identification kit in some parts of the country.
The media, political parties and civil society groups have been compiling their own tallies using these final results declared at the more than 40,000 polling stations.
But only the electoral commission can declare the winner of the presidential election after verifying the physical and digital forms sent to the national tallying centre.
It has seven days to announce the result.
To win the presidential race in the first round, a candidate needs:
more than half of all the votes cast across the country
at least 25% of the votes cast in a minimum of 24 counties.
After counting the votes, local officials take a photo of the final tally sheet and send the image to both the constituency and national tallying centres.
 
