The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is racing against time to announce the 2007 Kenya General Elections results before the end of this week.
The much-anticipated results follow the successful elections that were conducted thirteen years ago. The incumbent president Mwai Kibaki is trailing opposition leader Raila Odinga in what could be the most contested elections in Africa.
Official Results
The announcement of the intention to announce the results has left Kenyans in shock. However, the commission has clarified that the results that were announced in 30th December 2007 were the provisional results. Kenyans should now expect the official results this week.
Commission Chair Wafula Chebukati said that they have put all the necessary safeguards to ensure that the results are free and fair for all. “We have been working hard to get the final tally. This includes going through every single ballot paper and checking the fidelity of the paper and the markings. This will be the most credible elections results ever produced in the history of elections.”
Slow but Sure
“We may be slow, but we are accurate.”
In the scrutiny of the ballot papers, IEBC has so far counted over 20 million cast votes against a registered number of 14,296,180 voters. Tharaka Nithi is yet to be scrutinized and although it has a population of less than 400,000, Kibaki is expected to get at least half a million votes.
Raila’s camp is eagerly awaiting the results. Although both sides have been involved in irregularities, they all expect a free and fair results.
Refund
If Raila is declared the president, Kibaki will have to refund the 5.5 years that he spent as a president in his second term. Although no one knows how that can happen, the ODM party will have its time in power. On the other hand, the Kibaki government claims that since the two parties formed a coalition government in 2008, it does not matter who is declared the winner.
