CGTN America
Uhuru Kenyatta, left, addresses the nation watched by his deputy William Ruto, right, after he and Ruto were declared winners in the rerun of presidentail race at the Centre in Bomas, Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. Kenya’s election commission says President Uhuru Kenyatta has won election that was boycotted by main opposition group. (AP Photo/ Sayyid Abdul Azim)
Kenya’s president on Monday claimed victory in a re-run election. The country’s electoral commission declared incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta the winner, with officials saying he received 98 percent of the vote, while only 39 percent of eligible voters cast ballots.
CGTN’s Robert Nagila reports from Nairobi.
Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission on Monday declared the incumbent president the winner of a re-run presidential election. Kenyatta had previously won an August vote, but the country’s supreme court nullified the results because of voting irregularities.
Speaking to the country after the most recent results were announced, Kenyatta thanked his supporters and praised those who voted.
“I as a Kenyan celebrate our resilience as a nation, but I also celebrate our resilience and the resilience of our democracy,” Kenyatta said. “Any other country experiencing the turns and twists of our recent electoral process would have burst asunder, but our Kenyan resilience will not tire.”
Though the IEBC said 98 percent all ballots cast were in favor of Kenyatta, only 39 percent of eligible voters actually voted.
Opposition candidate Raila Odinga urged his supporters to boycott the October 26th vote. The former prime minister said election officials had not corrected the irregularities that forced the nullification of the August results.
Opposition protests kept polling stations from opening in more than two dozen constituencies. IEBC officials were scheduled to meet and discuss possible dates for voting in those areas, but today declared the results final, saying the ultimate outcome would not be affected regardless.
