CISA NEWS REPORT
NAIROBI, March 9, 2012 (CISA) – Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta becomes Kenya’s fourth president after beating his closest contender Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga in a closely contested General Election.
Uhuru, of the Jubilee alliance, won the Presidential seat after garnering 6,173,433 votes representing 50.07% against CORD’s Raila Odinga’s 5,340,546 (43.28%). The total number of votes cast was 12,330,028. President–elect Uhuru also got 25% of the total votes cast in more than 24 counties (32), the second requirement according to the new constitution for one to be elected president.
The General Elections were held on March 4, but the tallying and verification of the votes had to be done manually after the electronic sending and tallying system malfunctioned. This occasioned the four-day delay.
Announcing the results Independent Electoral and Boundaries (IEBC) chairman Issack Hassan said that the just concluded election was very challenging both to the IEBC and the voters.
“Thank you Kenyans for your peaceful voting and patience as you waited for the results. The local media also deserves special attention for their fair coverage of the elections” said Hassan.
For the first time the commission used ICT during the election with success and some shortcomings.
“We have done our country proud. The voter turnout of 86% was the highest ever. It was our moment and we seized it. Thank you Kenyans,” he added.
“I therefore declare Uhuru Kenyatta the duly elected president of the republic of Kenya,” concluded Hassan.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Kenyatta thanked the voters for electing him and assured them that this is the time to fulfil all the promises that his coalition promised.
Mr Kenyatta pledged to treat all citizens of Kenya equally and work with them to move Kenya forward. “I will work on behalf of the citizens of this Republic regardless of their political affiliations,” said Mr Kenyatta.
The President-elect requested other elected leaders from different parties and the other presidential candidates to join hands with the Jubilee Coalition and work for the benefit of Kenya as a Republic. These sentiments were also echoed by Mr William Ruto, the Deputy Presidential elect.
“We expect the international community will respect the sovereignty and democratic will of the people of Kenya,” said Mr Kenyatta.
Like Hassan, he thanked local journalists for their fair coverage which helped ease any perceived tension.
In the mean time, Presidential candidate Raila Odinga has said that CORD will move to the Supreme Court to challenge the outcome announced by IEBC.
“There was failure of instruments despite billions used to buy them and the manual counting was flawed amidst rampant illegality. Let the courts decide for we have a lot of faith in the judicial system,” he said.
Mr Odinga however thanked Kenyans for Voting overwhelmingly.
Uhuru Kenyatta is the son of Kenya’s first African Prime Minister and Kenya’s first President the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.
The elections had the Nation on a stand-still waiting for the final tallying of the ballot papers and eventual announcement of the next president. Businesses remained closed and most towns were deserted following the March 4th elections, leading to a call for the civil servants to return to work.
In total there were eight contestants for the presidential seat.
In December 15, 2010 Uhuru Kenyatta, 51, and his running mate William Ruto, 46, were named as suspects of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court prosecutor Moreno Ocampo, for planning and funding violence during the Post-Election-Violence that rocked the country after the disputed presidential elections of the 2007 General Elections.
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF BRISBANE
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