KENYA - ELECTION
Early results put Odinga ahead
Thursday, December 27, 2007
After a presidential vote marked by relative calm and high turnout, early TV results give Kenya's opposition challenger Raila Odinga the lead over President Mwai Kibaki, despite initial polling results which said the opposite. (Report: N. Germain)
Thursday, December 27, 2007
By Reuters
NAIROBI, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki
trailed his main rival on Friday in the race to lead east
Africa's biggest economy for the next five years, according to
early tallies by local media.
Partial results from three main television stations all gave
opposition challenger Raila Odinga -- the son of a nationalist
hero -- a strong lead over his former ally, although a separate
exit poll put Kibaki ahead in what many had forecast would be
Kenya's closest ever election.
opposition challenger Raila Odinga -- the son of a nationalist
hero -- a strong lead over his former ally, although a separate
exit poll put Kibaki ahead in what many had forecast would be
Kenya's closest ever election.
Were Odinga to win, this would make Kibaki the first of
Kenya's three sitting presidents to be ousted by the ballot box
in the 44 years since the end of British colonial rule.
Kenya's three sitting presidents to be ousted by the ballot box
in the 44 years since the end of British colonial rule.
The unofficial results by the TV channels were compiled from
tallies at counting centres. The latest, from KTN at 12.15 p.m.
(0915 GMT), gave Odinga 1,862,573 votes to 1,179,271 for Kibaki
-- representing about a third of ballots believed cast.
tallies at counting centres. The latest, from KTN at 12.15 p.m.
(0915 GMT), gave Odinga 1,862,573 votes to 1,179,271 for Kibaki
-- representing about a third of ballots believed cast.
About 14 million Kenyans were eligible to vote, although
turnout is expected to have been between 8 and 10 million.
turnout is expected to have been between 8 and 10 million.
As official counts slowly reached a Nairobi conference
centre ringed by armed guards, the Electoral Commission of Kenya
(ECK) said provisional results would be announced throughout
Friday, but that the process could stretch into Saturday.
centre ringed by armed guards, the Electoral Commission of Kenya
(ECK) said provisional results would be announced throughout
Friday, but that the process could stretch into Saturday.
"There's no excuse for our field officers not to have sent
us results that were announced by the media two hours ago," said
ECK Commissioner Jack Tumwa. "The country is getting restless."
us results that were announced by the media two hours ago," said
ECK Commissioner Jack Tumwa. "The country is getting restless."
Officials had earlier given the outcome from just two of
Kenya's 210 constituencies. One chose Odinga and the other
picked the president, both by large majorities in a reflection
of the country's deeply entrenched Kenyan tribalism.
Kenya's 210 constituencies. One chose Odinga and the other
picked the president, both by large majorities in a reflection
of the country's deeply entrenched Kenyan tribalism.
The ECK said turnout looked to be the highest since
multiparty politics was reintroduced in 1992. International
observers said Thursday's voting had gone smoothly, despite
sporadic violence and allegations of rigging by both sides.
multiparty politics was reintroduced in 1992. International
observers said Thursday's voting had gone smoothly, despite
sporadic violence and allegations of rigging by both sides.
"The test for our democratic maturity is in the
post-election period and how we conduct ourselves thereafter,"
police boss Hussein Ali told a news conference.
post-election period and how we conduct ourselves thereafter,"
police boss Hussein Ali told a news conference.
"For the winners, we trust you will exercise magnanimity.
For the losers ... you can try another time."
For the losers ... you can try another time."
'ENVY OF AFRICA'
An exit poll by the Institute for Education in Democracy, a
respected non-governmental organisation, gave the president 50.3
percent versus 40.7 for Odinga. But its figures were based on
just 311 polling stations of a total of 27,000.
respected non-governmental organisation, gave the president 50.3
percent versus 40.7 for Odinga. But its figures were based on
just 311 polling stations of a total of 27,000.
"It's still too early to call," Ngari Gituku, a spokesman
for Kibaki's Party of National Unity, told Reuters.
for Kibaki's Party of National Unity, told Reuters.
Diplomats say the poll was only the second truly democratic
one in a nation that votes largely on ethnic and geographic
lines and spent 39 years under single-party rule broken only by
Kibaki's landslide victory in 2002.
one in a nation that votes largely on ethnic and geographic
lines and spent 39 years under single-party rule broken only by
Kibaki's landslide victory in 2002.
Kibaki, 76, wants a second five-year term before retiring to
his highland tea farm after a political career that has spanned
Kenya's post-independence history.
his highland tea farm after a political career that has spanned
Kenya's post-independence history.
With a record of average economic growth of 5 percent, he
has the support of his Kikuyu tribe, Kenya's largest and most
economically powerful, but trailed narrowly in pre-vote polls.
has the support of his Kikuyu tribe, Kenya's largest and most
economically powerful, but trailed narrowly in pre-vote polls.
Odinga, 62, wants to be the first in his Luo tribe to take
the country's top job.
the country's top job.
That was the unrealised dream of his father, Kenya's first
vice-president Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, whose falling out with
founding President Jomo Kenyatta seeded the Luo-Kikuyu rivalry.
vice-president Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, whose falling out with
founding President Jomo Kenyatta seeded the Luo-Kikuyu rivalry.
Should he win, Odinga will have to bring on board Kikuyu
support and allay fears among some in business circles that the
East Germany-educated businessman is a radical.
support and allay fears among some in business circles that the
East Germany-educated businessman is a radical.
"The ECK has run elections with efficiency and independence
that should be the envy of the rest of Africa," the Daily Nation
newspaper said in an editorial.
that should be the envy of the rest of Africa," the Daily Nation
newspaper said in an editorial.
TV said various prominent figures were likely to lose their
parliamentary seats, including the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner
Wangari Maathai and Vice-President Moody Awori, as well as the
ministers of health, roads, information and foreign affairs.
parliamentary seats, including the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner
Wangari Maathai and Vice-President Moody Awori, as well as the
ministers of health, roads, information and foreign affairs.
Another big name, Kamlesh Pattni, a tycoon accused of being
the architect of a graft scandal that nearly ruined Kenya's
economy, also looked set to lose his bid to win a Nairobi seat.
(Additional reporting by Duncan Miriri, Joseph Sudah, Wangui
Kanina, Andrew Cawthorne, Bryson Hull, Helen Nyambura-Mwaura and
Nicolo Gnecchi, Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Sami Aboudi)
the architect of a graft scandal that nearly ruined Kenya's
economy, also looked set to lose his bid to win a Nairobi seat.
(Additional reporting by Duncan Miriri, Joseph Sudah, Wangui
Kanina, Andrew Cawthorne, Bryson Hull, Helen Nyambura-Mwaura and
Nicolo Gnecchi, Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Sami Aboudi)
There are no reactions so far.
Be the first user to react to this article.
You will only have to select the button <<REACT>> and fill the indicated fields.
Your reaction
Your reaction has been sent to FRANCE 24. Thank you for your feedback.
France 24 - Send by e-mail
The article has successfully been sent by email
-
Video
-
ANJALI NAYER
28/12 07:30 GMT+1 Correspondent in Nairobi
- ANJALI NAYER
- 28/12 07:30 GMT+1 Correspondent in Nairobi
- mms://video.france24.com.edgestreams.net/EN NW SOT DPX KENYA 07H30_400.wmv
-
ANJALI NAYER
27/12 23:00 GMT+1 Correspondent in Nairobi
- ANJALI NAYER
- 27/12 23:00 GMT+1 Correspondent in Nairobi
- mms://video.france24.com.edgestreams.net/EN NW SOT DPX KENYA 23H_400.wmv
-
-
Photos
-
Animation
