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| Kenya elections: police and opposition supporters clash | Kenya elections: police and opposition supporters clash |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Three people have died in clashes between opposition supporters and police in Kenya as voters headed to the polls in a contentious election rerun that has polarised the country. | Three people have died in clashes between opposition supporters and police in Kenya as voters headed to the polls in a contentious election rerun that has polarised the country. |
| Raila Odinga, the opposition leader, called for a boycott and in stark contrast to the first election, which the supreme court annulled last month, many polling stations in opposition strongholds received only a trickle of voters. | Raila Odinga, the opposition leader, called for a boycott and in stark contrast to the first election, which the supreme court annulled last month, many polling stations in opposition strongholds received only a trickle of voters. |
| In areas loyal to the incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta voting was brisk, though turnout appeared to be lower than for the previous election. | In areas loyal to the incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta voting was brisk, though turnout appeared to be lower than for the previous election. |
| One man was shot dead and three others injured during protests in Odinga’s western stronghold of Kisumu. Another was killed in the Mathare slum in the capital, Nairobi. | One man was shot dead and three others injured during protests in Odinga’s western stronghold of Kisumu. Another was killed in the Mathare slum in the capital, Nairobi. |
| In Nairobi’s Kibera slum, tangled wire and charred streets marked the spots where sporadic outbreaks of violence took place overnight. | In Nairobi’s Kibera slum, tangled wire and charred streets marked the spots where sporadic outbreaks of violence took place overnight. |
| Police fired teargas and live rounds into the air as crowds of youthful opposition supporters threw rocks and tried to storm a polling station at a primary school in the centre of the slum. Two people were injured with suspected bullet wounds. | Police fired teargas and live rounds into the air as crowds of youthful opposition supporters threw rocks and tried to storm a polling station at a primary school in the centre of the slum. Two people were injured with suspected bullet wounds. |
| “It is a sham election ... We will keep fighting until we have Raila as president,” said Brighton, a 21-year-old Kibera resident. | “It is a sham election ... We will keep fighting until we have Raila as president,” said Brighton, a 21-year-old Kibera resident. |
| Similar scenes were repeated in the western towns of Migori, Siaya and Homa Bay, where a third person died. | Similar scenes were repeated in the western towns of Migori, Siaya and Homa Bay, where a third person died. |
| The electoral commission said voting would be delayed until Saturday in Homa Bay, Kisumu, Migori and Siaya due to “security challenges”. | The electoral commission said voting would be delayed until Saturday in Homa Bay, Kisumu, Migori and Siaya due to “security challenges”. |
| The election is the latest act of a chaotic political drama that began when the supreme court overturned the victory of Kenyatta in the election on 8 August. It cited irregularities and mismanagement by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). | The election is the latest act of a chaotic political drama that began when the supreme court overturned the victory of Kenyatta in the election on 8 August. It cited irregularities and mismanagement by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). |
| Kenyatta is assured victory after the veteran Odinga withdrew, citing fears the poll would be marred by the same flaws that saw the August vote overturned. | Kenyatta is assured victory after the veteran Odinga withdrew, citing fears the poll would be marred by the same flaws that saw the August vote overturned. |
| The boycott, in an acrimonious political environment marked by violence and intimidation, is likely to tarnish the credibility of Kenyatta’s victory and the result will inevitably face further legal challenges, analysts say. | The boycott, in an acrimonious political environment marked by violence and intimidation, is likely to tarnish the credibility of Kenyatta’s victory and the result will inevitably face further legal challenges, analysts say. |
| Hilda Nyaga, the deputy presiding officer at the Social Grounds polling station on the edge of Kibera, said she had seen fewer than 50 voters since 6am. “Last time it was so busy there were very long queues. Now it is very quiet,” she said. | Hilda Nyaga, the deputy presiding officer at the Social Grounds polling station on the edge of Kibera, said she had seen fewer than 50 voters since 6am. “Last time it was so busy there were very long queues. Now it is very quiet,” she said. |
| Contrary to expectations, preparations had run smoothly for the polls and her team had all the necessary equipment, she said. Other election officials, however, said there had been a wave of resignations of colleagues working in and around Kibera on Wednesday following threats and intimidation. About a quarter of the 180 electoral officials due to work in Kibera have resigned in recent days, they said. | Contrary to expectations, preparations had run smoothly for the polls and her team had all the necessary equipment, she said. Other election officials, however, said there had been a wave of resignations of colleagues working in and around Kibera on Wednesday following threats and intimidation. About a quarter of the 180 electoral officials due to work in Kibera have resigned in recent days, they said. |
| Isaac Konyango, the deputy presiding officer of a polling station at the Raila education centre, said his site had been shut down by a crowd of opposition supporters at about 9am on Thursday and would not reopen. “There is no going back,” he said. | Isaac Konyango, the deputy presiding officer of a polling station at the Raila education centre, said his site had been shut down by a crowd of opposition supporters at about 9am on Thursday and would not reopen. “There is no going back,” he said. |
| No one had voted at the Olympic primary school polling station, where missiles hurled by protestors bounced off the building’s roof and teargas filled the air. | No one had voted at the Olympic primary school polling station, where missiles hurled by protestors bounced off the building’s roof and teargas filled the air. |
| “People are scared,” said the presiding officer, a local teacher who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals. | “People are scared,” said the presiding officer, a local teacher who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals. |
| In Kisumu, several polling stations failed to open and police fired teargas to disperse groups of young men throwing stones. The returning officer for Kisumu Central said no voting materials had been distributed and only three of his 400 staff had turned up for work. | In Kisumu, several polling stations failed to open and police fired teargas to disperse groups of young men throwing stones. The returning officer for Kisumu Central said no voting materials had been distributed and only three of his 400 staff had turned up for work. |
| In a statement on Thursday, Odinga said the opposition would press for fresh elections that it deemed credible. The day before, he called for a campaign of civil disobedience and resistance, telling several thousand supporters in the centre of Nairobi that the polls were a sham and amounted to a coup d’etat by Kenyatta. | In a statement on Thursday, Odinga said the opposition would press for fresh elections that it deemed credible. The day before, he called for a campaign of civil disobedience and resistance, telling several thousand supporters in the centre of Nairobi that the polls were a sham and amounted to a coup d’etat by Kenyatta. |
| Abdul Majiid, a 64-year-old retired machine operator, said he had voted for Kenyatta at the Social Grounds polling station in Kibera. | Abdul Majiid, a 64-year-old retired machine operator, said he had voted for Kenyatta at the Social Grounds polling station in Kibera. |
| “I had no problems and I had no worries. It is my right as per the constitution. I voted for the president. Progress in Kenya is very good. We have new railways, new roads, lots of things,” he said. | “I had no problems and I had no worries. It is my right as per the constitution. I voted for the president. Progress in Kenya is very good. We have new railways, new roads, lots of things,” he said. |
| Speaking after voting on Thursday, Kenyatta said the poll showed Kenya was “maturing as a democracy”. | Speaking after voting on Thursday, Kenyatta said the poll showed Kenya was “maturing as a democracy”. |
| Kenya’s supreme court said on Wednesday it could not consider a petition to postpone the controversial vote because not enough justices were available to form a quorum. | Kenya’s supreme court said on Wednesday it could not consider a petition to postpone the controversial vote because not enough justices were available to form a quorum. |
| Odinga’s claims of vote-rigging after his defeat in 2007 elections prompted rioting and retaliation by the security forces which tipped the country into its worst crisis for decades. About 1,200 people were killed in the ethnic violence that followed. | Odinga’s claims of vote-rigging after his defeat in 2007 elections prompted rioting and retaliation by the security forces which tipped the country into its worst crisis for decades. About 1,200 people were killed in the ethnic violence that followed. |
| Many Kenyans say the potential for violence has been reduced, because the country has learned from its earlier traumatic experiences. Though 70 people are thought to have been killed in violence since the August poll, widespread clashes have been avoided. | Many Kenyans say the potential for violence has been reduced, because the country has learned from its earlier traumatic experiences. Though 70 people are thought to have been killed in violence since the August poll, widespread clashes have been avoided. |