Kenyan President Kenyatta wins 98 percent of vote in rerun

Nairobi [Kenya], October 31 (ANI): Kenya's incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta has won 98 percent of the vote in a repeat presidential election.

"I hereby call the elections and congratulate the victors I hereby declare Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and.William Samoei Ruto as President-elect and Deputy President-elect respectively," Anadolu Agency quoted Chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Wafula Chebukati as saying.

However, the electoral commission said that only 39 percent of voters turned out due to an opposition boycott.

In a speech at Nairobi's Bomas of Kenya tallying center, Kenyatta said, "Once again as you all know I have been here before. Hope this is for the last time, fellow Kenyans let me say that today I as a Kenyan celebrate our resilience as a nation and the resilience of our democracy and our people."

"Any other country experiencing the turns and twists of our recent engagements would be in a tough place. I take this opportunity to thank God," he added.

Earlier in August, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights confirmed that 24 people, including 17 in Nairobi, were killed in the post-election violence.

The violent clashes have been continuing between the residents of Kisumu, an opposition stronghold, and police officials after supporters of the opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) rejected President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election.

"Specifically, these cases indicate that the casualties were felled by bullets and the same has been corroborated by family and community members who have indicated that they were killed during the protests which broke out in various parts of the country."

Kenyatta, the 55-year-old son of the country's founding President, won a second five-year, defeating veteran opposition leader and longtime rival Raila Odinga in a tense contest.

(ANI)