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Kenya’s Presidential Elections: The Rerun Kenya’s Presidential Elections: The Rerun
(about 4 hours later)
Kenyans cast ballots on Thursday in the second presidential election in nearly three months amid reports of rock-throwing and scuffles between police officers and protesters who wanted to stop the vote. Kenyans cast ballots on Thursday in the second presidential election in nearly three months amid a boycott by the main opposition leader and clashes in some areas between the police and rock-throwing protesters who wanted to stop the vote.
A 17-year-old died of gunshot wounds, according the head nurse at a government hospital in the western city of Kisumu. The police also fired tear gas at rock-throwing protesters in the Nairobi neighborhood of Kibera. Though the majority of the voting went ahead without incident, at least three people were killed, including a 17-year-old who died of gunshot wounds, according the head nurse at a government hospital in the western city of Kisumu.
President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to win. But the main challenger, Raila Odinga, who dropped out of the race, had urged supporters to boycott the vote, raising the dangerous prospect that millions of his supporters will not acknowledge the outcome. The clashes prompted the authorities to postpone voting until Saturday in four districts affected by the scattered violence. President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to win the election, since his main challenger dropped out.
Mr. Kenyatta’s main challenger, Raila Odinga, had accused the sitting president of fraud and had dropped out of the race, saying that he believed the second election would be “worse than the previous one” because the electoral commission had not made changes to its operation or its staffing.
But Mr. Odinga did not file the paperwork that would have formally removed him from the race, so his name appears on the ballot, according to election commissioners.
The first election, on Aug. 8, was nullified by the Supreme Court, which cited irregularities. The political crisis deepened on Wednesday, when the court was unable to hear a case that could have delayed the election after only two of the seven judges showed up. Five are needed for a quorum, Chief Justice David Maraga said.
The mood in some parts of the country remained tense on Thursday. Mr. Odinga had urged supporters to boycott the vote, raising the dangerous prospect that millions of his supporters will not acknowledge the outcome.
Protesters began gathering in Kisumu and Nairobi’s Uhuru Park since Wednesday to demonstrate against the looming ballot. On Twitter, the main opposition group, the National Super Alliance, warned, “The primary responsibility, if the worst occurs, lies squarely with Kenyatta.”
In anticipation of demonstrations during the second round, the Kenyan police said they would not allow the National Super Alliance to hold a rally at the capital’s Freedom Park ahead of its boycott. But the rerun of the vote has been marred by the lashes, with the police firing tear gas at rock-throwing protesters in the Nairobi neighborhood of Kibera.