William Ruto has been declared the winner of Kenya’s closely-fought presidential election with 50.49% of the vote after a long wait that has put the nation on edge.
Wafula W. Chebukati, the chairman of Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), made the announcement about an hour after the election commission’s deputy chairperson and three other commissioners disowned the presidential election results.
The Deputy President defeated five-time contender Raila Odinga. Ruto’s campaign focus was based on appealing to struggling Kenyans on economic terms and not on traditional ethnic issues.
But chaos emerged just before the declaration when the electoral commission’s vice chairman and three other commissioners told journalists they could not support the “opaque nature” of the final phase.
“We cannot take ownership of the result that is going to be announced,” vice chairman Juliana Cherera said. At the declaration venue, police surged to impose calm amid shouting.
The sudden split in the commission came minutes after Odinga’s chief agent said they could not verify the results and made allegations of “2electoral offences” without giving details or evidence. Odinga didn’t come to the venue for the declaration.
Now Kenyans wait to see whether Odinga will again go to court to contest the results of Tuesday’s peaceful election in a country crucial to regional stability. This is likely the final try for the 77-year-old longtime opposition figure backed this time by former rival and outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, who fell out with his deputy, Ruto, years ago.