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Snags in Vote Tabulation Spur Anxiety in Kenya Kenya Is on Edge Over Delays in Vote Tallying
(about 2 hours later)
NAIROBI, Kenya — As results from Kenya’s hotly contested presidential election continued to trickle in on Wednesday, persistent delays spawned all sorts of fears, frustrations and conspiracy theories.NAIROBI, Kenya — As results from Kenya’s hotly contested presidential election continued to trickle in on Wednesday, persistent delays spawned all sorts of fears, frustrations and conspiracy theories.
The election was on Monday, but because of a breakdown in a newfangled vote transmission system, results that should have been received and tabulated by Wednesday were not expected until later this week, keeping the country on edge. The election was on Monday, but because of a breakdown in a new vote-transmission system, results that should have been received and tabulated by Wednesday were not expected until later this week, keeping the country on edge.
On Wednesday, the presidential campaign of Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya’s deputy prime minister, who has been charged by the International Criminal Court with crimes against humanity, lashed out at the British government, accusing it of meddling in the vote.On Wednesday, the presidential campaign of Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya’s deputy prime minister, who has been charged by the International Criminal Court with crimes against humanity, lashed out at the British government, accusing it of meddling in the vote.
Mr. Kenyatta’s team said it was “deeply concerned about the shadowy, suspicious and rather animated involvement of the British High Commissioner” and “alarmed by the abnormally high influx of British military personnel in the country which began around the voting day, under the pretext of training.” Mr. Kenyatta’s team said it was “deeply concerned about the shadowy, suspicious and rather animated involvement of the British high commissioner” and “alarmed by the abnormally high influx of British military personnel in the country which began around the voting day, under the pretext of training.”
The British Foreign Office dismissed the claims of interference as “entirely false and misleading” and said that the British troops were on a “routine exercise” that was “completely unrelated to the Kenyan elections and was planned nine months ago.” The British Foreign Office dismissed the claims of interference as “entirely false and misleading” and said the British troops were on a “routine exercise” that was “completely unrelated to the Kenyan elections and was planned nine months ago.”
Mr. Kenyatta, the son of Kenya’s first president and the scion of one of the richest families in Africa, has been leading in the preliminary vote count and earlier this week seemed poised to clinch the race. He has been ahead by more than 10 percentage points over the second-place vote-getter, Raila Odinga, Kenya’s prime minister.Mr. Kenyatta, the son of Kenya’s first president and the scion of one of the richest families in Africa, has been leading in the preliminary vote count and earlier this week seemed poised to clinch the race. He has been ahead by more than 10 percentage points over the second-place vote-getter, Raila Odinga, Kenya’s prime minister.
But late Tuesday, the election commission decided to include hundreds of thousands of spoiled ballots as part of the overall count, in which a candidate must get more than 50 percent to be declared president. Election observers say that decision may mean the election will go to a runoff, angering Mr. Kenyatta’s supporters. But late Tuesday, the election commission decided to include hundreds of thousands of spoiled ballots in the overall count, of which a candidate must get more than 50 percent to be declared president. Election observers say that decision may mean the election will go to a runoff, angering Mr. Kenyatta’s supporters.
This is Kenya’s first presidential election since 2007, when widespread evidence of vote-rigging set off intense ethnic clashes that killed more than 1,000 people. Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court accuse Mr. Kenyatta, along with his running mate, William Ruto, of organizing some of the violence.This is Kenya’s first presidential election since 2007, when widespread evidence of vote-rigging set off intense ethnic clashes that killed more than 1,000 people. Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court accuse Mr. Kenyatta, along with his running mate, William Ruto, of organizing some of the violence.
Kenya has undertaken many major reforms since then, including passing a new constitution and overhauling its election process. In this election, votes were supposed to be transmitted directly from tallying centers to the election headquarters via encrypted data messages. But the computer servers at the election headquarters crashed on Tuesday, and now election officials are tabulating results manually, based on signed sheets of paper from tallying centers around the country. Kenya has undertaken many major reforms since then, including passing a new Constitution and overhauling its election process. In this election, votes were supposed to be transmitted directly from tallying centers to the election headquarters via encrypted data messages. But the computer servers at the election headquarters crashed on Tuesday, and now election officials are tabulating results manually, based on signed sheets of paper from tallying centers around the country.