Kenya Polls: Opposition Candidate Raila Odinga Slams ‘Sham, Fake’ Election Results

Raila Odinga, presidential candidate for Kenya’s National Super Alliance, NASA, has described as “sham, fictitious and fake”, results of the on-going presidential election in the country.

Early results from Tuesday’s vote indicated a strong lead for President Uhuru Kenyatta. According to electoral officials, Mr Kenyatta is leading with about 54.5%, to Mr Odinga’s 44.6%.

In order to avoid a run-off, a candidate needs 50% plus one of the votes cast and at least a 25% share of the vote in 24 of Kenya’s 47 counties

Since the commission began publishing the results, Kenyatta has maintained the 10 percentage lead, contrary to pre-poll predictions that the two candidates were heading for a photo-finish.

Reacting to the outcome, Odinga said the country’s electoral commission is fraudulent.

Mr Odinga said the results were the “work of a computer” and did not reflect the will of voters. He asked Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, IEBC, to provide forms 34A and 34B to help verify the outcome.

“It beats common sense for those results to be admitted. The results announced at the polling station are final,” Mr Orengo, a lawyer representing Odinga said.

Mr Orengo said the commission had assured them that the forms would be available in their mails, if they needed them.

“We were given that guarantee more than an hour ago, that we will get the transmitted forms.

“But as we speak now, those forms have not been availed to us. If one wants to know what a fraud is; this is one,” he said.

Mr Orengo said what the IEBC was doing is a replica of 2007 and 2013, where the electoral body transmitted results without a basis for verification.

“It is disturbing that after a long process, the commission will commit such a fraud. Kenyans should ignore those results.

“According to us, the results are null and void because they are not backed by any evidence. We will not keep quiet but reject them,” he said.

The IEBC has since denied the claims.