Politics
22:32, 30-Oct-2017
Kenya's Kenyatta declared winner in boycotted presidential election
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Kenya’s president claimed victory in a re-run election on Monday. The country’s electoral commission declared incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta the winner, with officials saying he received 98 percent of the vote, but only 39 percent of eligible voters cast ballots.
Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission on Monday declared the incumbent president the winner of a re-run presidential election. Kenyatta had previously won an August vote, but Kenya's Supreme Court nullified the results because of voting irregularities.
Speaking to the country after the most recent results were announced, Kenyatta thanked his supporters and praised those who voted.
"I, as a Kenyan, celebrate our resilience as a nation, but I also celebrate our resilience and the resilience of our democracy,” Kenyatta said. “Any other country experiencing the turns and twists of our recent electoral process would have burst asunder, but our Kenyan resilience will not tire.”
Reuters Photo
Reuters Photo
Opposition candidate Raila Odinga urged his supporters to boycott the October 26th vote. The former prime minister said election officials had not corrected the irregularities that forced the nullification of the August results.
Opposition protests keeping polling stations from opening in more than two dozen constituencies. IEBC officials were scheduled to meet and discuss possible dates for voting in those areas, but on Monday declared the results final, saying the ultimate outcome would not be affected regardless.
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