William Ruto

It was likely the final try for the 77-year-old longtime opposition figure backed this time by former rival and outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, who fell out ...

“Raila Odinga and his party have got seven days to file a petition in the Supreme Court,” he said. The sudden split in the commission came minutes after Odinga’s chief agent said they could not verify the results and made allegations of “electoral offences” without giving details or evidence. Allegations of vote rigging provoked violence after the 2007 vote, when more than 1,200 people were killed. Several black plumes of smoke rose around a roundabout as people burned piles of tyres amid shouts of “We need Raila now!” Diplomats and international election officials were whisked out of the tallying hall before the announcement was made as scuffles broke out. Ruto received 50.49 percent of the vote, while Odinga received 48.85 percent.

The incumbent Deputy President of Kenya, William Ruto has won the country's tightly fought presidential elections. Kenya's Independent Electoral and ...

Ruto had backed opposition candidate Raila Odinga in that disputed election. He was elected to parliament at his first attempt in 1997 as MP for the Eldoret North constituency. In his remarks after the announcement, Ruto said: “There are no losers.

Electoral commission chair declares deputy president winner of tight race as other senior officials disown results.

Now Kenyans must wait to see whether Odinga will again go to court to contest the results of Tuesday’s peaceful election in a country crucial to regional stability. The sudden split in the commission came minutes after Odinga’s chief agent said they could not verify the results and made allegations of “electoral offences” without giving details or evidence. Ruto, the deputy president, had appeared to be leading the longtime opposition leader, Raila Odinga, as Kenyans awaited final results of the election held nearly a week ago.

The head of Kenya's election body on Monday declared Deputy President William Ruto the winner of the country's close-fought presidential election.

The announcement of the long-awaited outcome of Kenya's presidential vote was thrown into chaos on Monday after four out of seven election commissioners said they could not recognise the results. The IEBC has been under pressure to deliver a clean poll after claims of rigging and mismanagement led to the annulment of the 2017 election race. NAIROBI - The head of Kenya's election body on Monday declared Deputy President William Ruto the winner of the country's close-fought presidential election, despite several commissioners rejecting the results.

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya's electoral commission chairman has declared Deputy President William Ruto the winner of the close presidential election over ...

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Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto has defied the odds by winning the fiercely contested presidential election in East Africa's powerhouse.

He justified it by comparing his deputy to a co-driver who threw things out of a vehicle while the driver was busy steering it. He also won by a landslide in Mount Kenya - the political heartland of Mr Odinga's running-mate Martha Karua and the outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta. In the presidential vote, he even trounced Mr Odinga in the constituencies of both Ms Karua and Mr Kenyatta. "I stand before you despite intimidation and harassment. Mr Ruto was magnanimous in his victory speech, saying he would work with "all leaders" and would strive to ensure the nation was "united and prosperous". There were chaotic scenes inside the main tallying centre.

Deputy President Ruto garnered 50.5% or 7.1-million of the valid votes and his main rival Odinga 48.9%, the independent electoral & boundaries commission (IEBC) ...

But the two fell out in 2018 after Kenyatta reconciled with Odinga after a long-running feud. Ruto says he started out in business by selling live chickens on a roadside, went on to own one of the country’s biggest poultry farms and expanded into hospitality and real estate. Both men denied wrongdoing and the cases were dropped due to a lack of evidence. Odinga, a former prime minister, has yet to react to the results, although some of his campaign officials said they rejected the outcome. “In this election there are no losers,” Ruto said in a speech after being declared the winner. Ruto has ruled out restructuring the debt, an option favoured by his rival.

Scuffles break out as supporters of veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga and some electoral officials contest result.

The elections had been hailed as step forward for Kenyan democracy, with politicians focused on economic issues rather than tribal mobilization.

That meant anyone could tally the votes and check the electoral commission's math. And these elections also began as the most transparent in the country's history. "That is why I stand before you today despite the intimidation and harassment. Kenya is a model of democracy in East Africa, a region where authoritarianism has been ascendant. "We have a constitutional duty to perform," he said. The commission's chairman, Wafula Chebukati, went on stage anyway and chaos ensued.

Kenyan President Elect William Ruto from Kenya Kwanza (Kenya First) political party coalition delivers a speech at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries ...

Three of Kenya's four presidents, including Kenyatta, have been Kikuyus. The late-President Daniel arap Moi was from the Kalenjin tribe. His running-mate, Rigathi Gachagua, was ordered by a court last month to pay back about $1.7 million (R27, 6 million) that it determined was linked to corruption. Ruto, who built his career as a businessman, now travels frequently in helicopters and owns numerous properties, including a mansion, a luxury hotel and a massive chicken farm. The division within Kenya's official election body will likely spawn countrywide confusion. Ruto has dismissed claims by critics that his wealth was acquired through corruption. Others did not have that option.

In Kenya, the deputy president William Ruto has been declared the winner of the country's presidential election, very narrowly beating his opponent Raila Odinga ...

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Kenya's elections chief declared Deputy President William Ruto the winner of a tight presidential race on Monday, but some senior election officials ...

The electoral commission has introduced many checks and balances to try to prevent disputes like those that led to violence in which more than 1,200 people were killed following the 2007 election. Odinga did not attend the announcement. Kenyatta, who has served his two-term limit as president, fell out with Ruto after the last election and this time endorsed Odinga. In Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold in the west of the country, the reaction was immediate. We need all hands on deck to move forward.” Hailing the electoral commission as “heroes”, Ruto said: “There is no looking back.

The elections had been hailed as step forward for Kenyan democracy, with politicians focused on economic issues rather than tribal mobilization.

That meant anyone could tally the votes and check the electoral commission's math. And these elections also began as the most transparent in the country's history. "That is why I stand before you today despite the intimidation and harassment. Kenya is a model of democracy in East Africa, a region where authoritarianism has been ascendant. "We have a constitutional duty to perform," he said. The commission's chairman, Wafula Chebukati, went on stage anyway and chaos ensued.

The announcement was marred by scuffles, allegations of vote-rigging and a divided electoral commission.

In a country fond of political metaphors, Mr Ruto's stunning victory is akin to his party's modest symbol, the wheelbarrow, running a seven-tonne tractor off the road. We do not have the luxury to look back," he added. Several opinion polls, which Mr Ruto had dismissed as fake, predicted his rival would win. "To those who have done many things against us, I want to tell them there's nothing to fear. This was the first time Mr Ruto, 55, had run for president. "It is a wonderful evening…

Kenya's deputy president defeated the over five-time contender Raila Odinga in the tightly-contested presidential election. Ruto says Kenya is a democratic ...

It is not declared by the commission. We have built robust institutions that can undertake the resolution of any issue,” adds Ruto. “The outcome of the election is declared by the retaining officer.

With a mountain of debt, growing unemployment and millions to feed, the new President needs a miracle to pull his country out of the morass.

Ruto's opponent and former prime minister, Raila Odinga, 77, argued that he is not the champion of the poor. After that, Ruto changed sides, and in 2013 he was appointed Kenyatta's vice president. With a mountain of debt, growing unemployment and millions to feed, the new President needs a miracle to pull his country out of the morass.

“We are here this evening to witness this momentous occasion as the people of Kenya restate what is in article one of the constitution of Kenya that all ...

On Monday, the Interfaith Council of Kenya called on Kenyans and their leaders to maintain the peace. Kenyatta dismisses his Deputy as a “thug” and a “tanga tanga” man; so much pettiness between those two but no one should be under any illusion that one is better than the other. The fear of violence, litigation and acrimony hangs in the air, and the fear also, of what is next for Kenya. Imagine a situation where it takes a whole week to collate election results in Nigeria! I don’t want to imagine what would happen if we were to experience that kind of delay. The thing to note is that the democratic process in Africa is still a work-in-progress, and many countries on the continent are still learning how to get elections right. Ahead of the elections, there were reports of attacks on women politicians and intimidation and gender-based harassment. It is now time to stop the vitriol and personal attacks. The United Nations, the African Union and all voices of reason must begin to prevail on the leaders of Kenya to give peace a chance. Before now, Odinga and his supporters had complained about rigging and mismanagement of the electoral process. And thus, it is done: the people of the Republic of Kenya have elected a new President in the person of the current Deputy President William Samoei Arap Ruto, 55, who, barring any untoward developments, will succeed his boss, President Uhuru Kenyatta for whom the constitutional two-term limit of 10 years has come to an end. This was a brazen display of partisanship and rebellion on the part of Cherera and her gang. “We are here this evening to witness this momentous occasion as the people of Kenya restate what is in article one of the constitution of Kenya that all sovereign power belongs to the people of Kenya…I want to thank God for getting us to this point.

Once blamed for election violence, the president-elect is trying to strike a statesmanlike note as victory is disputed.