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Kenya election: less than half of those eligible thought to have voted Kenya election: government accused of 'genocide' against ethnic minorities
(about 7 hours later)
Early estimates suggest less than half of Kenya’s eligible voters cast their ballots in the country’s controversial presidential election on Thursday, raising fears of fresh instability and potential violence. Opposition politicians in Kenya have accused the government of conducting a campaign of “genocide” against ethnic minorities in the aftermath of the country’s controversial presidential election.
Votes were still being counted on Friday but the chairman of the country’s election commission, Wafula Chebukati, tweeted overnight that 6.55m ballots had been cast – just 34.5% of registered voters. In an earlier statement officials had given the figure of 48%. The new and harsh language will raise tensions still further, prompting fears of further polarisation in what is already a deeply divided country.
The low turnout will undermine the credibility of any mandate the assured winner, the incumbent president, Uhruru Kenyatta, may claim and will be seen as a victory by the opposition which had called for a boycott. Sporadic violence continued on Friday, with police saying they shot dead one man, bringing to five the number of confirmed dead since voting began on Thursday. All were killed in the west of the country, which supports the opposition.
The polls on Thursday were marred by clashes between police and stone-throwing protesters in opposition strongholds. In volatile slum neighbourhoods in Nairobi, and in several western cities, crowds attempted to block access to polling stations for officials and voters. So far this year, 44 people have died in election-related violence since the August poll.
Four people were killed in the day’s violence, with several dozen injured. With Uhruru Kenyatta, the incumbent president, currently winning with nearly 98% of the vote following an opposition boycott, attention is now focused on the turnout in the poll.
Voting in four counties has been deferred until Saturday for security reasons while electoral officials said 5,000 polling stations out of 41,000 either did not open or “did not manage to send the ‘we’ve opened signal’.” The total number of votes cast were still being tallied late on Friday but the total in the early evening stood at 6.4m ballots – around a third of registered voters.
The low proportion of eligible voters who went to the polls will undermine the credibility of any mandate Kenyatta may claim and will be seen as a victory by the opposition, which called for a boycott.
“This government is unhappy that the people has rejected it. It has elected to fight back through violence, death and mayhem,” opposition politician Musalia Mudavadi said, accusing the government of deploying security forces to the west of the country to conduct a “genocidal pogrom”.
Kenya is a patchwork of different ethnic communities and groups. There has long been simmering resentment between those that are more influential – such as the Kikuyu – and those that see themselves as marginalised – such as the Luo.
Kenyatta, 55, is a Kikuyu. Raila Odinga, the 72-year-old veteran politician who leads the opposition, is a Luo.
Ethnic violence following elections in 2007 led to 1,200 deaths.
“What we have is a problem of tribalism and tribalism is an issue that we must continue to deal with and fight with as we continue to develop our country. We cannot achieve our goals if we continue to embark on tribalistic politics,” said Kenyatta after voting on Thursday.
Millie Odhiambo, an opposition member of parliament known for her uncompromising views, said the government wanted to incite violence.
“They are saying it is about one ethnic community … but in reality most of this country is tired of this government,” she said.
The polls on Thursday were marred by clashes between police and stone-throwing youth in opposition strongholds.
Voting in four counties in the west of Kenya was first deferred until Saturday for security reasons then postponed once again late on Friday after further clashes. No new date has been given for polls there.
Government supporters have accused the opposition of using intimidation and violence to deny Kenyan citizens their right to vote.Government supporters have accused the opposition of using intimidation and violence to deny Kenyan citizens their right to vote.
The election is the latest act of an increasingly chaotic political drama that began when the supreme court overturned Kenyatta’s victory in the 8 August election. It cited irregularities and mismanagement by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). The increasingly chaotic political drama in Kenya began when the supreme court overturned Kenyatta’s victory in the 8 August election. It cited irregularities and mismanagement by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
The turnout for that poll was 80%.The turnout for that poll was 80%.
Raila Odinga, the opposition leader, withdrew from the rerun election, citing fears it would be marred by the same flaws as the August vote. Odinga then withdrew from the rerun election, citing fears it would be marred by the same flaws as the August vote.
Multiple legal challenges to the new election are expected. Most analysts believe they are unlikely to provide a clear path out of the crisis and many Kenyans fear a protracted political stalemate between the Kenyatta and Odinga camps.Multiple legal challenges to the new election are expected. Most analysts believe they are unlikely to provide a clear path out of the crisis and many Kenyans fear a protracted political stalemate between the Kenyatta and Odinga camps.
“Even an election will not help the situation in this country. It will not really bring down the tensions. We are still expecting a long time with intense opposition,” said Hilda Nyaga, a 27-year-old accountant who acted as a presiding officer in Nairobi on Thursday.
The supreme court judgment annulling the August poll was seen as a victory for democracy in Kenya, which is considered a bulwark of stability in a region beset by conflicts, humanitarian crises and deep environmental woes.
The crisis has further damaged the Kenyan economy, which was already under pressure from a drought which sent prices of basic foodstuffs soaring.
Kenyatta said on Thursday he would reach out to opponents, but a similar pledge after the August election did not lead to any meaningful dialogue.
“Unless the courts annul the election, Kenyatta will move forward without a clear mandate and Odinga will pursue a protest strategy whose chances of success in the circumstances are not very high,” said Murithi Mutiga, a Nairobi-based analyst with the International Crisis Group.“Unless the courts annul the election, Kenyatta will move forward without a clear mandate and Odinga will pursue a protest strategy whose chances of success in the circumstances are not very high,” said Murithi Mutiga, a Nairobi-based analyst with the International Crisis Group.
The poll was held in an atmosphere of acrimony and intimidation. One senior election official fled to the US last week, saying she was afraid for her personal security. Opposition lawyers may cite the failure to open polling stations in parts of the country as a reason to declare the poll unconstitutional and seek a fresh contest.
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. Other grounds could include a high court ruling the day before the election that said hundreds of election officers had been improperly recruited.
Hours later, Odinga, 72, called for a campaign of civil disobedience and resistance, telling several thousand supporters in the centre of Nairobi that the polls amounted to a coup by Kenyatta. The supreme court judgment annulling the August poll was seen as a victory for democracy in Kenya, which is considered a bulwark of stability in a region beset by conflicts, humanitarian crises and deep environmental woes.
Many electoral officials in opposition strongholds faced threats. About a quarter of those due to staff polling stations in the Kibera neighbourhood of Nairobi resigned in the 48 hours before the election. Kenyatta has said he would reach out to opponents, but a similar pledge after the August election did not lead to any meaningful dialogue.
“Because of the threats they could not make it. We are scared because we live here and we know they want to identify us,” said one presiding officer at the Olympic primary school polling station in Kibera, where only a handful of votes were cast by the end of Thursday. Opposition officials said they did not know what any talks would be about, other than when to hold a third poll which would be “free and fair”.
Odinga’s claims of vote-rigging after his defeat in the 2007 elections prompted rioting and retaliation by security forces which tipped the country into its worst crisis for decades. About 1,200 people were killed in the ethnic violence that followed. Non-governmental groups have raised concerns about alleged sexual violence by Kenyan police during unrest linked to the country’s August election.
So far this year, 44 people have died in election-related violence since the August poll. About 20 local and international groups said in a letter to Kenyan health and security officials that there were at least 60 cases of sexual violence during the August election period and that most allegedly were committed by police or men in uniform.