Presidential in Kenya: tension at the Electoral Commission
Polling station in Kenya in a school, August 9, 2022. © RFI / Laura-Angela Bagnetto
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Tension is rising in Kenya, five days after the presidential vote.
The results are still being compiled and verified by the Electoral Commission.
She has until Tuesday, August 16 to announce them.
However, the longer the wait, the more tempers flare.
Accusations of attempted fraud are increasing, as are calls for calm.
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With our correspondent in Nairobi,
Florence Morice
A sign of the growing tension, riot police intervened last night in Bomas, where the Kenyan Electoral Commission has set up its national counting center.
Since yesterday Saturday August 13, the representatives of the various candidates who participate in the verification of the votes have almost come to blows, on several occasions.
There were scenes of fights against a backdrop of mutual accusations of attempted fraud, until the almost surreal moment when one of Raila Odinga's representatives came to the podium to declare: "
I want to tell Kenyans that Bomas is a crime scene
,” all live on TV.
So this Sunday morning, calm returned as well as the work of counting the results.
The security and access filtering system has been reinforced.
In this climate, about fifteen associations, unions and Kenyan NGOs launched this Sunday morning an appeal for calm.
“
We are disappointed with the attitude of politicians.
In every election, there is a winner and a loser
,” they said, while urging supporters on both sides to exercise restraint until the electoral commission has completed its work.
At the same time, in a gesture of appeasement, Raila Odinga spoke this morning for the first time since the vote, during the Sunday service in Karen.
“
We hope that peace will prevail after the election.
We are all part of one nation
,” he said.
William Ruto, who also attended mass this morning, made no statement.
Candidate David Mwaure, of the Agano party, has just admitted defeat.
He was credited with less than 1% of the results, according to initial estimates.
Four candidates were in the running but everything is now decided in a tight duel between the two favorites, Raila Odinga and William Ruto.
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