Enlarge image
Raila Odinga performing in Nairobi
Photo: THOMAS MUKOYA / REUTERS
After the close outcome of the presidential election in Kenya, the opposition leader Raila Odinga, who was officially defeated, does not want to recognize the election result.
The result of the election announced on Monday was "a farce" and shows a "caricature," said Odinga.
He announced that he would exhaust all "legal options" against it.
The statements are likely to further fuel tensions between the camps of the declared election winner William Ruto and Odinga.
Observers are worried that, like after the 2007 election, there could be serious and prolonged unrest again.
There were riots in parts of the country after the results were announced on Monday evening.
On Tuesday, local media also reported the killing of an election official responsible for counting votes in a constituency in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.
According to the head of the electoral commission, Ruto won the election with 50.5 percent of the vote, ahead of Odinga with 48.9 percent.
However, shortly before the official announcement, four of the seven members of the Electoral Commission IEBC distanced themselves from the election result, citing irregularities.
Deputy head of election commission calls results “absurd”
On Tuesday, the deputy chairwoman of the electoral commission, Juliana Cherera, described the results of the vote as "absurd".
According to your information, around 140,000 additional votes were cast when those entitled to vote were registered.
The sum of the votes would be 100.01 percent.
Cherera is considered loyal to Odinga and was among the panel members who stayed away from the official announcement the night before.
"I don't want to comment fully on our future strategies," Odinga told reporters on Tuesday.
However, the 77-year-old ex-prime minister added that he would "use all constitutional and legal options available to us" to contest the election result.
On Monday evening there had already been protests in several Odinga strongholds.
The situation initially remained calm on Tuesday.
Odinga praised his supporters for "keeping the peace."
With around 54 million inhabitants, the safari country, which is popular with tourists, is considered one of the most stable countries on the African continent.
However, past elections have seen unrest and violence.
In 2008 more than 1000 people died due to a wave of violence following the voting.
Violent incidents also occurred in 2013 and 2017.
The main reason was tensions between the different ethnic groups.
fek/dpa/AFP
