Kenya's violence-riddled repeat presidential election leaves nation divided

27 Octobre 2017

Nairobi, Kenya, October 27 (Infosplusgabon) - Deep political divisions emerged in Kenya on Friday, a day after a crucial vote, which recorded a low voter turnout estimated at 33%, with President Uhuru Kenyatta taking a commanding lead in early results.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission  (IEBC) provisional results, showed President Kenyatta leading with 2.8 million votes. A total of 6 million people who voted in the election.

Supporters of opposition leader Raila Odinga, who did not take part in the 26 October election,  celebrated the outcome of the election, saying it showed Odinga won the 8 August elections, whose results were nullified on 1 September at the Supreme Court.

The IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati said on Thursday night the voter turnout was 48%, but declined to answer questions about how the figure was calculated.

The Chairman later sent a tweet, giving a voter turnout of 6 million, which is roughly 33%.

The electoral Commission postponed the election in four counties on Thursday after widespread violence.

On Friday, religious leaders from Western Kenya region, condemned police for their brutal response to the efforts by voters to stop the distribution of voting material.

"There has been no voting in 60 percent of the country and the voter turnout is at 30%," said Junet Mohamed, the Director of Elections at the Orange Democratic Party, part of the National Super Alliance  (NASA), which said it had transformed into a "national resistance movement" to champion peaceful change.

In response to the postponement of the elections in four counties, the opposition coalition said the IEBC was engaging in ethnic profiling of voters from Western Kenya region.

"There was no voting which took place in north eastern but where it took place, turnout was 30%. To say that only Nyanza region did not vote, is ethnic profiling and balkanisation of the country," Mohamed said.

The IEBC Chairman, in response, said he did not exclude the other centres.

According to the IEBC, the election opened properly in 50 out of 290 constituencies. The body received 27,124 election forms out of 40,833 centres. The IEBC Chairman said the total of 35,534 poll centres opened.

He said 5,319 poll centres did not open for the voting.

"We are going to make a decision on the way forward if these centres do not open because we are working within the law. The Commission considered all factors before deciding on the repeat of the election but we cannot continue doing it. A decision would have to be made," Chebukati said.

Religious and political leaders from Nyanza region, comprising the counties of Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori and Kisumu, said the IEBC was acting partisan by forcing voters to participate.

"I have never seen a free and fair election where the IEBC is eager to enforce an election. It has resulted in unnecessary loss of lives," said Anyang' Nyong'o, Governor, Kisumu, the third largest city in Kenya.

During the election, three people were shot dead and 15 others were injured in Kisumu.

Police said two people were shot dead, one of them, one during a demonstration at a constituency tallying Centre in Kit Mikai, Kisumu, western Kenya.

In Nairobi, Infosplusgabon  reporters counted five people with gunshot wounds in Kibera as they battled police trying to move poll materials.

At least 53 people reported cases of police brutality on Thursday in Kisumu, with 15 gunshot injuries, Nyong'o said.

"There are four people with bullet wounds lodged in their bodies. The medical personnel have decided they will live with these bullets in their bodies in memory of Chebukati's enforced elections," Nyong'o said during a news conference in Kisumu.

Nyong'o said while responding to distress calls, he picked a person abandoned by police who later regained consciousness in hospital.

The Kisumu Governor said other people were missing after being shot and wounded by police.

At the Raila Odinga Educational Centre in Kibera, Nairobi, PANA reporters met teenagers carrying spent bullet catridges used by the Police.

"You might think they are firing teargas but people are being shot by these live bullets," said the lad, who was among a group of local youth who helped security personnel in Kibera to respond to a fire outbreak at the Centre.

Kenyan voters resisted the elections in a variety of ways. Witnesses said at least two policemen were lynched by mobs in western Kenya. One policeman was lynched in Shinyalu, Kakamega and another in Ugenya, Siaya.

Should the elections fail to take place, the IEBC Commissioners might be forced to make a decision on whether to declare a winner or not.

The constitution requires that a president is elected after getting 50% of the votes plus 25% in half of 47 counties.

There are indications of no elections taking place in 24 counties.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/ARE/ GABON 2017

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