International News

NAIROBI, Aug 8, (APP/AFP) – Kenyans vote Tuesday
in general elections headlined by a too-close-to-call battle between incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta and his rival Raila Odinga, sparking fears of violence in east Africa’s richest economy.
Tensions soared in the last days of the campaign with the murder of a
top election official and opposition claims that one of its vote tallying centres was raided by police, heightening a feverish atmosphere of conspiracy and suspicion.
Odinga, 72, flagbearer of the NASA coalition, is taking his fourth
and likely final stab at the presidency.
Right up until the eve of the vote, he insisted that Kenyatta’s
Jubilee Party planned to rig the presidential election, although he also congratulated his “worthy opponent” on his campaign.
In a bid to ease tensions Kenyatta addressed the nation Monday night,
urging citizens to turn out to vote in great numbers, but to “do so in peace”. The polls are seen as a litmus test of Kenya’s progress since a
disputed 2007 election sparked two months of violence which left more than 1,100 dead and 600,000 displaced.
Kenyans will vote in six different elections, choosing governors,
lawmakers, senators, county officials and women’s representatives in local
races also rife with tension.
However all eyes are on what is set to be the last showdown of a
dynastic rivalry that has lasted more than half a century since the presidential candidates’ fathers Jomo Kenyatta and Jaramogi Odinga went from allies in the struggle for independence to bitter rivals.