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NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) — Kenya’s incumbent president Mwai Kibaki has been re-elected, beating his rival by a margin of only 230,000 votes among almost 9 million cast, the electoral commission announced Sunday.
Opposition supporters march at the entrance to the Mathare slum in Nairobi on Sunday.
Kibaki narrowly defeated Raila Odinga, of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement, winning 4,584,721 votes compared with 4,352,993 for Odinga, the chairman of the electoral commission, Samuel Kivuitu, said in an address broadcast by the Kenyan Broadcasting Corporation.
The television station later showed footage of Kibaki being sworn-in at a ceremony at the presidential palace.
The closest fought election in the country’s history threatened to descend into chaos after supporters of Odinga earlier disrupted a press conference where the electoral commission was expected to announce the results.
Kivuitu was escorted out of the room after shouts broke out from supporters of Odinga who accused the government of election fraud. He was taken under armed guard to his private offices where he announced the result in an address later broadcast on state television.
Following the swearing-in, Kibaki insisted the elections were “free and fair” and called upon opposition parties to set aside their differences and to “let us all work together to build consensus.”
Odinga’s party earlier had accused the government of “doctoring” the results.
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Amid chaotic scenes, Odinga claimed the official counts from 48 out of a total 210 constituencies were flawed, saying that around 300,000 votes were in dispute.
He also introduced an official from the commission who said he witnessed vote-rigging by staff going on at the commission’s headquarters.
The official said he had been asked to sign off returns from polling stations from Kenya’s eastern coastal region that he claimed had been deliberately altered by commission staff.
Odinga said earlier that if the president was announced winner “it will do the biggest injustice to the people of this country.”
“The consequences are too grave to consider,” he said at a press briefing.
The election has been plagued by violence as some supporters of Odinga went on the rampage angry at the delay in announcing a result.
CNN staff witnessed gangs looting and then burning several stores.
According to Associated Press reports, at least 14 people have been killed in election-related violence since Thursday’s voting in Kenya. Nine died Sunday in the Mathare shantytown, AP reported.
Protesters waving machetes were shouting “Kibaki must go!” as buses and shops burned in Mathare, AP reported.
Kibaki’s slim margin of victory is a marked difference from his win five years ago, in a landslide election. He had run on promises to fight corruption.
Since, he has seen his authority erode amid a number of high-profile corruption scandals in his government.
He faced a serious challenge from Odinga, a flamboyant politician who hails from the minority Luo tribe and has won support from rural and urban voters after promising to share the wealth among all the people.
A peaceful election and a smooth transition of power were seen as crucial for Kenya, a stable country in an otherwise-volatile region.
The international community expressed concern at the tide of rioting and looting that had accompanied the election.
In a joint statement released Sunday, British Foreign Minister David Miliband and International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander called on the leaders of the two main parties to “act responsibly,” and called for an end to the violence.
The U.S. State Department congratulated the people of Kenya for “largely peaceful and orderly voting,” but repeated the calls for calm while the count occurred.
Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
December 30, 2007 at 8:04 pm
In the very same way that former president Moi handed over power to Kibaki after losing in the 2002 election, so should former president Kibaki hand over power to President Raila (2007). He was won fair and square, and if anyone says there was no rigging involved, then they must be kikuyu because everyone else saw the rigging happening right before their eyes. How can you claim to have won the presidential elections, considering the fact that 159 parliamentary seats out of 210 went to Raila’s party (the opposition), only leaving 51 seats to be shared amongst the other losers (kibaki’s PNU party, etc). If kibaki and his PNU party were anywhere as popular as Raila’s ODM party, they would have surely won more seats in government. Rigging elections, looting public funds and oppressing press freedom, are the legacy of kibaki’s government.
December 31, 2007 at 12:11 am
[...] Kenya’s president re-elected, elections chief says … [...]
December 31, 2007 at 11:52 pm
I am sick and tired of people who continue to speak about Kenya’s economy “growing” by 6 percent, etc. Most of you saying this, belong to one of 2 categories. People who have benefited directly from the looting that has gone on in Kenya under Kibaki, and thus don’t feel the financial pinch, or those living out of the country. At what expense will this so called “growth” continue? As far as i am concerned, Kenya has become too expensive for many things due to this so called “economic growth”. How can a simple bottle of wine cost over 1,000 Shillings? I have purchased many bottles of whine in the US and the UK lately, and Kenya charges more than 2-5 times for such items, than it costs in the US and UK. Even tourists are complaining that things cost more in Kenya than in many European countries. As a Kenyan, my salary has not increased, but the salaries of those theives in government have. So do they feel the pain?… No is the answer, its not enough for them to steal our hard earned money, but to increase their salaries and allowances, is to add insult to injury. Kibaki and his 6 percent growth can go to hell. Trying to show the international bodies numbers and leaving his people to suffer…? I would rather have slow but steady economic growth, where what you earn can allow you to live a happy life in your own country. House prices have sky rocketed… why?… Has a brick become 2-5 times more expensive all of a sudden, or is it simply that the same idiots who steal our money then give themselves pay rises, are not saticefied enough that they want whatever we have left in our pockets for our families (hard earned), in paying them rent, etc. Kibaki must leave right now, and give the majiority of Kenyan’s who voted their chosen president, president Raila the opportunity to govern our country. I am not Kikuyu, neither am i Luo but Raila won fair and square. If we made a mistake chosing him, its still our right to decide for ourselves… Anyway, we made a mistake with Kibaki last time didnt we..? So there you go. Thats what voting is about..freedom to make and learn from our mistakes. Have a Happy New Year, but dont forget, kibaki must go!!!.
January 2, 2008 at 7:01 am
Mob burns Kenyans seeking refuge in church …
NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) — Gangs of young men armed with machetes are roaming the streets in Kenya as post-election violence threatens to engulf the country. Horrific attacks are being reported, including the torching of a church where people who had sought refuge were burned alive.
Police officers detain an opposition supporter on Monday during riots at the Kibera slum in Nairobi.
At least 148 people have been killed and about 75,000 have fled their homes since President Mwai Kibaki won a narrow victory, according to Kenyan government officials. The Associated Press reported a higher number — about 275 — have died since Saturday.
Much of the violence is between supporters of Kibaki from the majority Kikuyu tribe and backers of opposition leader Raila Odinga, who is from the Luo tribe.
The ethnic violence, previously rare in Kenya, is reminiscent of the strife that led to the Rwanda genocide.
In a particularly disturbing incident, a mob appears to have burned a church filled with Kenyans seeking refuge from the violence.
The Red Cross told The Associated Press that at least 50 were burned to death at the church, some of them children.
As many as 200 people were at the church, about 185 miles northwest of Nairobi, KTN reporter Tony Biwott told CNN. Watch as machete-wielding looters haul away goods »
Biwott said he counted at least 15 charred bodies, including children, in the burned church and an adjacent field.
“I’m sure there were more than 15 but I couldn’t count the ones who were ashes,” he said in a phone interview.
The wounded sustained gunshot wounds, burns and cuts from a panga, a machete-like weapon, the Red Cross said. Watch smoke darken skies near a burned church
The national police commissioner has said in Kenyan society, churches are considered sacred and no one would expect such violence there.
He said an investigation into the incident is under way.
About 120 people are reported dead and over 1,000 injured countrywide, according to The Red Cross.
Police and political backers of opposition leader Raila Odinga began clashing about four days ago as Odinga, of the Luo tribe, narrowly lost Kenya’s presidential election to Mwai Kibaki.
Kibaki is a member of Kikuyu, Kenya’s largest tribe.
Violence broke out in several cities as frustration mounted during the slow hand-count of the ballots. Kibaki was re-elected with 51.3 percent of the vote, to 48.7 percent for Odinga.
“What we now witness is a cold and calculated plan to organize and engage in massacres,” government spokesman Alfred Mutua said.
Bringing in the New Year, Kibaki — who rarely speaks to the press — urged calm to the nation.
“It now is a time for healing and reconciliation amongst all Kenyans,” he said.
Foreign Minister Raphael Tuju said the government is committed to taking control.
“If the tear gas doesn’t work then unfortunately they have to use live bullets,” he told CNN. “The president has been sworn in, the elections are over, the Kenyans have to accept the results, the opposition has to accept the results.”
Tuesday, international observers said the balloting fell short of international standards for democratic elections.
Alexander Lambsdorff, the head of the EU Election Observation Mission in Kenya, cited discrepancies in vote counts, election observers being turned away from polling places and observers being refused entrance to the electoral commission vote-counting room.
The violence also has displaced some 75,000 Kenyans inside the country, Mutua said.
The government said Tuesday it will not allow any political rallies in the aftermath of the controversial election outcome.
Odinga’s opposition Orange Democratic Movement had scheduled rallies for Tuesday, raising fears of more violence.
Mutua said there was no intention to impose a state of emergency or curfew at this point, and said police are handling the violence well and with “extreme restraint.”
However, he warned that police restraint would not last forever. The violence is rare for Kenya, which has enjoyed relative calm even as war and chronic political violence wracked neighboring countries, such as Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda.
The United States has withheld congratulations for Kibaki, citing concerns of voting problems, even though Kibaki has claimed victory.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/01/01/kenya.elections/index.html
January 7, 2008 at 11:36 am
we have watched for one week as the country that was once quiet and reserved bay for each others blood and loot property,it is sad yes but one thing is for sure that the elections were rigged and that kenyans are not happy for the same reason.How can a man sworn in the year 2002 with such pomp and colour be sworn in the year 2007 with such haste and disorganization?were they hiding something?the answer is yes!president kibaki was a beneficiary of goodwill and he should at least reciprocate the same.