Kenya’s Odinga says he’ll challenge close election loss
By: Cara Anna
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan opposition figure Raila Odinga said Tuesday he’ll challenge the results of the close presidential election with “all legal options” after Deputy President William Ruto was declared the winner, bringing new uncertainty to a country where the vote was widely considered to be its most peaceful.
Now East Africa’s most stable democracy faces weeks of disputes and the possibility that the Supreme Court will order a fresh election. Already, religious and other leaders have pleaded for calm in a country with a history of deadly post-election violence.
“Let no one take the law into their own hands,” Odinga said to his supporters.
This was his first appearance since Kenya’s electoral commission chairman on Monday declared Ruto the winner with almost 50.5% of the votes. Four of the seven commissioners abruptly announced they couldn’t support the results, and Odinga supporters scuffled with the remaining commissioners at the declaration venue.