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Kenyan opposition claims victory Kenyan election too close to call
(about 4 hours later)
Kenya's opposition has claimed victory in presidential elections, and urged President Mwai Kibaki to admit defeat to prevent the spread of violence. Kenya's election is on a knife edge, latest official figures show, as violence and looting broke out across the country amid delays in the results.
Official figures gave challenger Raila Odinga a four percentage point lead over President Mwai Kibaki, with three-quarters of the vote counted. The lead of opposition presidential candidate, Raila Odinga, 62, over the incumbent, Mwai Kibaki, 76, has narrowed to less than 40,000 votes.
Kenya's electoral chief said results from some rural parts had been delayed. The candidates' supporters have clashed sporadically across the country.
Rioting has broken out in some opposition strongholds, where people feared their votes were being abused. The election has seen a clear rejection of Mr Kibaki's government, with about 20 ministers losing their seats.
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. With almost 90% of votes tallied in 180 out of a total 210 constituencies, the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) gave Mr Odinga 3.88m votes to Mr Kibaki's 3.84m, according to Reuters news agency.
Mr Kivuitu admitted there had been problems establishing results from some areas. Count chaos
He warned that "if we don't get the results quickly, we will have to announce what we have". Mr Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement has held the lead since vote counting began after Thursday's poll but has since seen his advantage evaporate.
Rioting The count in the ECK headquarters at a Nairobi conference centre has been delayed amid chaotic scenes.
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. When election chair Samuel Kivuitu read out results which largely cancelled out much of Mr Odinga's lead on Saturday afternoon, a shouting match erupted between rival party agents and demands were made for a recount.
We are sensing a plan to rig the elections Eric OchiengWestern Kisumu class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7079210.stm">Kibaki: Dream or nightmare? class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7068055.stm">Odinga: King-maker class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=3902&edition=1">Send us your comments "Be seated. I'm tired," pleaded Mr Kivuitu.
"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. They want to steal votes. They are counting votes from regions favouring Kibaki Peter OduorProtester class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7079210.stm">Kibaki: Dream or nightmare? class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7068055.stm">Odinga: King-maker class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=3902&edition=1">Send us your comments
But Mr Kibaki's supporters pointed out that he had closed the gap after Mr Odinga opened an early lead. Mr Kibaki's Party of National Unity said it would wait for the official results, and urged officials to speed up the count. He came to power with a landslide victory in 2002.
President Kibaki's Party of National Unity said it would wait for the official results, and urged officials to speed up the count. Mr Odinga's camp has raised allegations that Mr Kibaki's side may be seeking to rig the results and rioting has broken out in some opposition strongholds.
"Any other kangaroo results given by any Tom, Dick or Harry deserve every contempt," said a spokesman. In Kisumu, an opposition stronghold, police fired tear gas and gunshots in the air to disperse people.
In parts of western Kenya, demonstrators expressed their anger that their votes had still not been added to the official tally. Angry demonstrators have lit bonfires, set up roadblocks and even burned down homes.
Protests turned to looting and rioting, and police in Kisumu, an opposition stronghold, fired tear gas and gunshots in the air to disperse people. Several people have died in the violence, including a man shot dead in a row at a polling station in western Nyanza province, police said.
Mr Odinga has a four percentage point lead over Mr Kibaki "There are riots all over the country, except a few areas," a senior police official told AFP.
Anti-riot police and youths fought running battles across the city, the BBC's Noel Mwakugu reports from Kisumu. Mr Odinga's lead over Mr Kibaki has narrowed
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. Anti-riot police and youths have fought running battles, the BBC's Noel Mwakugu reports from Kisumu.
"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. There were also reports of trouble in the opposition areas of Bungoma, Busia, Eldoret, Kericho and Kakamega.
"We will not accept this," he told Reuters. "They want to steal votes. They are counting votes from regions favouring Kibaki and then they want to declare him the winner. We do not want violence, we want our rights," said one protester, Peter Oduor.
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.
Standing in front of his burned-out home in Kibera, Hamisi Noor, 22, a Kikuyu, told AP news agency a Luo crowd had torched their house and slashed his father across the face with a machete.
MPs ejectedMPs 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. An Electoral Commission spokesman 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. Results so far show a majority of MPs have 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 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 about 20 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. If he loses, Mr Kibaki will be Kenya's first sitting president ousted at the ballot box.