Kenya: William Ruto Wins Disputed Presidential Election

Facts

• Deputy Pres. William Ruto was declared the winner of Kenya's Aug. 9 presidential election on Mon., succeeding two-term Pres. Uhuru Kenyatta amid allegations of electoral fraud by senior election officials.
• In a tight race, Ruto, who was running for the first time, beat his rival, former PM and five-time presidential candidate Raila Odinga, winning with about 50.5% of the vote. Odinga only managed to achieve a little under 49% of the vote.
• However, four of the seven election commissioners refused to approve the final phase of voting, which Juliana Cherera, deputy chairwoman of the Electoral Commission of Kenya (IEBC), described as "opaque."
• Odinga's national chief agent Saitabo Kanchory accused IEBC officials of electoral fraud and said the voting system had been "hacked." The election results may be challenged before the Supreme Court within a week.
• In 2017, Odinga successfully challenged the results of the presidential election won by Kenyatta, which was followed by protests that left dozens dead. In the Supreme Court, Kenyatta won the reelection following an opposition boycott.
• Amid the announcement of this year's election result, two election officials were reportedly injured when scuffles broke out at the polling center and police intervened to restore order. Meanwhile, a poll official who had previously gone missing was found dead on Tuesday.

Sources: Reuters, CBS, BBC News, Africa News, and Washington Post.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Ripples Nigeria. All Kenyans and the international community must now join forces to preserve peace and support Kenya's democracy. After widespread violence followed Kenya's 2007 and 2017 elections, every effort must now be made to ensure that similar scenes are not repeated this year because of the bruised egos of Odinga and his main supporter, Pres. Kenyatta. It is vital to uphold democratic processes.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. When it comes to violence and tragedy, Kenya is suddenly back in the headlines. In all this drama, however, one thing must not be forgotten: as in many places around the world, "democracy" in Kenya has degenerated into a mere symbolic act of voting. This election is no exception - it's merely a facade in which power-hungry alleged representatives of the people play a rigged game, and it's paramount to recognize this reality.