According to results released by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, William Ruto has won the election to become the nation of East Africa’s fifth president (IEBC).
Before the announcement, however, four election commissioners indicated they could not endorse the “opaque” vote count, raising concerns about what will take place next.
“There are no losers. The people of Kenya have won because we raised the political bar, There is no looking back, we are looking to the future, we need all hands on deck to move forward.” the president said on Monday.
In a close presidential contest with Raila Odinga, Ruto came out on top.
According to the IEBC, Ruto won by a close margin, garnering slightly more than seven million votes to Odinga’s slightly fewer than seven million.
When the deputy head of the electoral commission and three other commissioners told journalists they could not support the “opaque nature” of the final phase, chaos broke out just before the declaration.
Deputy Chairperson Juliana Cherera remarked, “We cannot take ownership of the result that is going to be announced. Police rushed into the declaration site amid shouting and shoving to establish calm.
Before Chebukati began speaking, officials escorted diplomats and international elections out of the tallying room as altercations started.
Cherera urged the parties to resolve any disagreements in court amid worries that accusations of vote-rigging could spark violent scenes similar to those that followed presidential elections in 2007 and 2017.
The numerous checks and balances were put in place to attempt and stop the allegations of rigging that led to rioting after the 2007 election, which resulted in more than 1,200 fatalities.
More than 100 people were killed in 2017, when the Supreme Court annulled the results due to irregularities in the electoral process.
