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| Kenyan opposition claims victory | Kenyan opposition claims victory |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Kenya's opposition has claimed victory in presidential elections, and urged President Mwai Kibaki to admit defeat to prevent the spread of violence. | |
| Official figures gave challenger Raila Odinga a four percentage point lead over President Mwai Kibaki, with three-quarters of the vote counted. | |
| Kenya's electoral chief said results from some rural parts had been delayed. | |
| Rioting has broken out in some opposition strongholds, where people feared their votes were being abused. | |
| The head of the country's election commission, Samuel Kivuitu, said that early on Saturday afternoon, with 159 of Kenya's 210 constituencies tallied, Mr Odinga had 3,726,240 votes, to Mr Kibaki's 3,416,139 - around 49.5% to the challenger and 45.3% to the president. | |
| Mr Kivuitu admitted there had been problems establishing results from some areas. | Mr Kivuitu admitted there had been problems establishing results from some areas. |
| He warned that "if we don't get the results quickly, we will have to announce what we have". | He warned that "if we don't get the results quickly, we will have to announce what we have". |
| Rioting | Rioting |
| Mr Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement raised fears that the delay may indicate electoral officials were under pressure to rig the result, and said it was now time for the president to admit defeat. | Mr Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement raised fears that the delay may indicate electoral officials were under pressure to rig the result, and said it was now time for the president to admit defeat. |
| We are sensing a plan to rig the elections Eric OchiengWestern Kisumu href="/1/hi/world/africa/7079210.stm">Kibaki: Dream or nightmare? class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7068055.stm">Odinga: King-maker | |
| "In view of the growing anxiety and restlessness in the country over the extended delay... we now call upon the outgoing president to acknowledge and respect the will of the Kenyan people and concede defeat," said Mr Odinga's vice-presidential candidate Musalia Mudavadi. | "In view of the growing anxiety and restlessness in the country over the extended delay... we now call upon the outgoing president to acknowledge and respect the will of the Kenyan people and concede defeat," said Mr Odinga's vice-presidential candidate Musalia Mudavadi. |
| But Mr Kibaki's supporters pointed out that he had closed the gap after Mr Odinga opened an early lead. | But Mr Kibaki's supporters pointed out that he had closed the gap after Mr Odinga opened an early lead. |
| President Kibaki's Party of National Unity said it would wait for the official results, and urged officials to speed up the count. | |
| "Any other kangaroo results given by any Tom, Dick or Harry deserve every contempt," said a spokesman. | |
| In parts of western Kenya, demonstrators expressed their anger that their votes had still not been added to the official tally. | In parts of western Kenya, demonstrators expressed their anger that their votes had still not been added to the official tally. |
| Protests turned to looting and rioting, and police in Kisumu, an opposition stronghold, fired tear gas and gunshots in the air to disperse people. | Protests turned to looting and rioting, and police in Kisumu, an opposition stronghold, fired tear gas and gunshots in the air to disperse people. |
| Mr Odinga has a four percentage point lead over Mr Kibaki | |
| Anti-riot police and youths fought running battles across the city, the BBC's Noel Mwakugu reports from Kisumu. | Anti-riot police and youths fought running battles across the city, the BBC's Noel Mwakugu reports from Kisumu. |
| There were also reports of trouble from Bungoma, Busia, Eldoret, Kericho and Kakamega - opposition areas where the people feared victory was about to be stolen from them. | There were also reports of trouble from Bungoma, Busia, Eldoret, Kericho and Kakamega - opposition areas where the people feared victory was about to be stolen from them. |
| "We are sensing a plan to rig the elections," taxi cyclist Eric Ochieng, 18, said in western Kisumu, as riots raged and smoke billowed overhead. | "We are sensing a plan to rig the elections," taxi cyclist Eric Ochieng, 18, said in western Kisumu, as riots raged and smoke billowed overhead. |
| "We will not accept this," he told Reuters. | "We will not accept this," he told Reuters. |
| Much of the violence was enacted along ethnic lines, with Luo supporters of Mr Odinga clashing with members of Mr Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe. | Much of the violence was enacted along ethnic lines, with Luo supporters of Mr Odinga clashing with members of Mr Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe. |
| MPs ejected | MPs ejected |
| A spokesman for the Electoral Commission of Kenya told the BBC that turnout had perhaps been more than 70%, from an electorate of 14m. | A spokesman for the Electoral Commission of Kenya told the BBC that turnout had perhaps been more than 70%, from an electorate of 14m. |
| Early results showed that a majority of MPs had lost their seats. | Early results showed that a majority of MPs had lost their seats. |
| Kenyan parliamentarians had gained notoriety in the past five years for arbitrarily increasing their salaries and allowances, while a majority of Kenyans continued to grapple with meagre wages and a high cost of living. | Kenyan parliamentarians had gained notoriety in the past five years for arbitrarily increasing their salaries and allowances, while a majority of Kenyans continued to grapple with meagre wages and a high cost of living. |
| Vice-President Moody Awori was one of the 16 ministers who lost their seats. | Vice-President Moody Awori was one of the 16 ministers who lost their seats. |
| The vote also saw three sons of retired president Daniel Arap Moi lose their seats in three different constituencies in the Rift Valley province. | The vote also saw three sons of retired president Daniel Arap Moi lose their seats in three different constituencies in the Rift Valley province. |
| Mr Moi has helped fund Mr Kibaki's campaign. | Mr Moi has helped fund Mr Kibaki's campaign. |