Deputy President William Ruto has won the presidential election in Kenya. He narrowly defeated his rival, Raila Odinga, receiving 50.4 percent of the vote.
The announcement was delayed due to clashes and accusations of vote rigging by members of Odinga’s campaign. Four of the seven members of the electoral commission refused to announce the results, saying they were “dark”.
“We cannot take responsibility about the result that will be announced due to the murky nature of this final phase of the general election,” said Juliana Cherera, vice chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
“We will issue a comprehensive statement… and again appeal to Kenyans to remain calm. There is an open door that people can go to court and the rule of law will prevail,” she said.
Officials of candidate Odinga’s party earlier claimed that there were “irregularities” and “mismanagement” in the election.
This was the first time Ruto, 55, had run for president. He served as vice president for 10 years but clashed with the president, Uhuru Kenyatta, who backed Odinga to succeed him.