Counting and collation of results have continued by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials, several hours after most polling stations closed across Kenya. In a vote marked by a historic low turnout, the determining factor was how much each candidate would garner into the other’s support base.
In a departure from past practice, the chairman of the IEBC, Wafula Chebukati, did not give updates on the presidential vote count at the National Tallying Centre at the Bomas of Kenya.
The IEBC chairman Chebukati on Tuesday said polls results are being tallied at the National, county and constituency levels.
The national tallying centre at the Bomas of Kenya caters for presidential elections. The County tallying centres sort out the governor, senate and woman rep seats.
Chebukati said proper planning and management of tallying centres is key to a transparent and credible election.
As at 7am, over 42,000 polling stations had transmitted Form 34As to the national tallying centre at Bomas of Kenya.
Although the exercise is ongoing in most regions, results for MPs, Governors, senators and women representatives are out for some regions in the country.
In the crucial Mt Kenya vote basket where support from President Uhuru Kenyatta was expected to favour Odinga in a region that voted against him in the last three elections, the Azimio la Umoja coalition flagbearer was underperforming against the projections.
President Kenyata failed to give Raila win in own polling station as deputy President William Ruto garnered more than twice the votes that were cast in favour of his closest rival Raila Odinga at President Uhuru Kenyatta’s polling station, Mutomo Primary school in Gatundu South
Kiambu governor candidate Moses Kuria, Taveta MP candidate Naomi Shaban and Bonchari MP candidate Cliff Ombeta have conceded defeat. Naomi Shaban congratulated her challenger Bwire Okano of Wiper party.
“Good people, there is time for everything. Well done team Bwire,” she said.
Cliff Ombeta broke the news through his Twitter handle Wednesday morning. “Bonchari Enyia has and always will be in my heart. Those who believed in me, we will keep it alive. This will not be our end politically,” Ombeta said.
Moses Kuria, in a statement on Facebook Tuesday night, said he is heading back to the private sector after eight years of service as MP.
“I enjoyed every minute of my 8 years in elective politics. Back to the private sector. Happily,” Kuria said.
Odinga got just three per cent of the Mt Kenya vote in 2017, but in the run-up to the elections had been scoring about 25 per cent on opinion, far behind UDA flagbearer Ruto but still an important improvement given the number of votes at stake.