Kenya's Kenyatta wins repeat election

NAIROBI - Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who was formally declared winner of the country's repeat presidential election on Monday, promised to abide by the Constitution if his victory in the rerun is challenged in court.

Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission chairman Wafula Chebukati announced that Kenyatta garnered 7.48 million, or 98.26 percent, of the total votes cast, with his National Super Alliance rival, Raila Odinga, only managing 73,228 votes, or about 1 percent.

The opposition leader had rallied his supporters to boycott the Oct 26 balloting, which was marred by low turnout and violent protests in opposition strongholds.

"The total votes cast were 7.62 million and rejected ballots 37,713. This translates into a national voter turnout of 38.84 percent," Chebukati said. About 19.6 million Kenyans registered as voters.

Chebukati said the repeat poll was free and fair despite opposition complaints over the vote that led to it boycotting the process.

In his acceptance speech, Kenyatta said his victory is likely to be subjected to a constitutional test through the courts.

He said despite the fact that his major competitor went to court demanding the presidential election be nullified and was granted that annulment, Odinga chose to ignore the rest of the ruling which ordered a fresh election in 60 days conducted by IEBC.

"Thereafter he chose to abandon the fresh poll. You cannot choose the opportunity to exercise a right and abscond from the consequences of that choice," Kenyatta said.

Kenyatta thanked the many voters who turned up in the fresh elections to exercise their democratic right despite violent intimidation.

"For those who voted for Jubilee by way of re-validating our Aug 8 victory, I thank you. Now we can begin the process of re-imagining our nationhood," Kenyatta said.

Odinga's withdrawal from the fresh presidential race, though anticipated, had sparked uncertainties in the country's body politic, economy, social cohesion and diplomatic engagement. He is due to speak later this week on the way forward.

So far, Odinga has remained silent but had promised to address his followers on Tuesday.

Xinhua

(China Daily 11/01/2017 page12)