Protests, boycott as Kenya holds election rerun

Opposition supporters in Kenya on Thursday clashed with police amid protests in the country’s presidential re-run election.

President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner in an August election, but it is being conducted again due to reported “irregularities”.

There were reported cases of bonfires in some parts of the country including Kisumu where police confronted “stone- youths with live rounds, tear gas and water cannon”.

Reuters reports that although there have been no immediate reports of casualties, polling officers in Kisumu are unable to distribute voting materials.

John Ngutai, the returning officer in Kisumu central, said no voting materials had been distributed and only three of his 400 staff had shown up at work.

Raila Odinga, the country’s opposition leader, had called for a boycott in the weeks leading to the elections. He later urged Kenyans “who value democracy and justice to hold vigils and prayers away from polling stations, or just stay at home”.

Fred Matiang‘i, Kenya interior minister, told Citizen TV that the security situation in the country is okay.

“By and large, polling stations have been opened in over 90 per cent of the country and voting has commenced,” he said.

After casting his vote in the town of Gatundu, Kenyatta urged people to do same for the country to move on.

“We’re tired as a country of electioneering. It’s time we moved forward,” he said, according to the BBC, adding that most of Kenya was calm and peaceful.”

Last week, a senior official of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), had fled the country.

Ezra Chiloba, IEBC chief, had admitted he could not guarantee a free and fair vote, citing interference from politicians and threats of violence against his colleagues.