The result of the Kenyan presidential election held on 9th August hangs in the balance. Yesterday's figures had the two candidates, William Ruto, current Vice President, and Roula Odinga from the opposition, in almost a dead heat. According to privately owned Citzien, on Thursday, the 11th of August, Odinga had 49.48% of the votes, and Ruto had 49.12%, but this varied on different media channels.
The figures this morning (Friday the 12th of August) from IEBC - Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission show Ruto with 51.7% of the votes and Odinga with 47.7%, which was updated at 12.00 to the following: Ruto 52.5% and Odinga 46.9%.
A source in Kenya told FreshPlaza that all media had been removed from counting centers, and there is quite a heavy KDF (military) presence on the roads.
No official winner had been declared at the time of publishing.
The winning candidate must get 50% of the vote plus one to win and at least a quarter of the votes in 24 out of 47 of Kenya's counties.
Outgoing President Uhru Kenyatta has already served his two-year term limit and has endorsed Odinga.
If there is no outright winner, a new election must take place within 90 days.
As the results rolled in, there was fear of a repeat of the violence that has been seen at previous elections as the media reported differing figures, but it seems to have remained relatively calm.
The estimated turnout was markedly lower at 60% compared to 80% in 2017. It has been said that Kenyans are fed up with rising prices and corruption within the government.
Today Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) issued the following statement:
Due to the pending announcement of the 2022 general elections, we are operating with a stringent 'Safety first' approach and taking relevant precautions to ensure the safety of our employees, customer shipments, and our network.
As a result of this circumstance, we would like to inform you that JKIA Service Points will close at 4:00 p.m.
Effect on exports
One exporter told FreshPlaza that they are currently experiencing some disruption in operating activities at the port of Mombasa due to the impact of the ongoing election process.
Ocean Freight
"Within KPA, we have a lack of gangs available to continue with normal discharge operations, especially in the conventional terminals. This has delayed discharge operations on some vessels and may impact the delay in clearance and final delivery as well. In some stations, we have notable unavailability of KEBS officers, which is also impacting our verification process that may result in delays in clearance and final delivery. Our teams remain on the ground and fully engaged with the authorities, actively monitoring the situation and reaching out to the relevant authorities for support. We shall issue further updates on the situation as we progress further."
Airfreight - JKIA
"There is a relative calmness at JKIA. However, there are notably fewer officers on duty than normal, and hence we expect some delays in regard to approvals, verification, and releases. The team remains fully engaged to ensure the timely clearance of your shipments. We shall keep you fully updated on progress.
"There was also a news alert issued by KCAA- Kenya Civil Aviation Authority -indicating that Wilson and JKIA Airports will be closed on August 10th and 12th from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. due to military exercise; this operation has been canceled, and operations resumed normally."