Kenya vote counting underway after presidential election

Kenya vote counting underway after presidential election
By Euronews
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Kenya vote counting underway after presidential election

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Kenya’s president took an early lead as results from Tuesday’s national elections were counted.

The hotly-contested presidential vote took place amid fears it would trigger violence between rival supporters.

The incumbant Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Kenya’s first president, faced off against Raila Odinga, the son of Kenya’s first vice-president.

The government deployed more than 150,000 security personnel, including wildlife rangers, to protect 4,000 polling stations.

There are more than 6,000 domestic observers, as well as delegations of international and EU election observers.

“We have 130 observers all over the country,” said Marietje Schaake, head of the EU’s election observation.

“And together we can get a sense of what has happened here in Nairobi, what is happening in other parts of the country. And it’s a part of our more long term observation, that includes the campaigning, the election day, but also the count, the tallying and the days after the election, which are also an important element of the entire process.”

The winner needs one vote more than 50 percent.

First results are not expected before Wednesday (August 9), but a very close race might mean as long as three days before a winner emerges.

Kenya elections scribble embed[‎08/‎08/‎2017 15:11] Beswick, Emma:

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