Kenya presidential race goes down to wire

Saturday 9 March 2013

Kenya's presidential race has got tighter, with frontrunner Uhuru Kenyatta gaining just under half of the ballots counted four days after the vote, raising the prospect of a run-off against his main rival, Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

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Mr Kenyatta, 51, the deputy Prime Minister who is due to go on trial at The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity linked to the violent aftermath of the 2007 election, has led since results started trickling in.

Results from strongholds loyal to Mr Odinga, 68, closed some of the gap, but with about one-fifth of constituencies still to report, Mr Kenyatta could yet secure more than 50% of the vote – needed for a first-round victory.The count, questioned by both sides but which international observers broadly said was credible, is likely to go down to the wire.The poll is seen as a critical test for Kenya, east Africa's largest economy, after its reputation as a stable democracy was damaged by the bloodshed that followed the 2007 election. By 9am yesterday, with 9,760,168 total votes tallied, Kenyatta had 4,835,482 votes or 49.5%, to Odinga's 4,316,005 or 44.2%, according to a display by the electoral commission. That was based on reports from 223 of 291 constituencies.As counting progressed, Mr Kenyatta's tally has been nudged above and below the crucial 50% mark. If no candidate achieves more than that level, the top two go to a run-off set for April.The Kenyatta and Odinga camps have both raised concerns about the process, so legal battles could delay that, heightening tensions in the nation. But this time both sides have promised to turn to legal channels and keep the peace.International observers have said the vote and count have been transparent so far, and the electoral commission has promised a credible vote. Turnout had been estimated by election officials at more than 70% of the 14.3 million eligible voters.

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Kenya presidential race goes down to wire

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