USA congratulates Kenyans after polls, urges peaceful resolution of concerns
The United States of America’s embassy congratulated the people of Kenya for exercising their right to vote in the August 9th election.
Saying that the electoral process was an important milestone, the U.S Embassy also urged all parties to work together to peacefully resolve any remaining concerns about the election through existing dispute resolution mechanisms.
“We ask all political party leaders to continue to urge their supporters to remain peaceful and refrain from violence during the electoral process.”
Additionally, the embassy commended Kenya’s active participation in political parties, civil society and its citizens for shaping robust discussions throughout the campaign period.
“We applaud the efforts of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, security forces, and all electoral institutions to organize a peaceful and orderly voting and counting process,” they noted.
On Monday evening, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati announced Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto as the President-elect.
However, four IEBC commissioners including vice chair Juliana Cherera, commissioners Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit and Justus Nyang’aya, disowned Chebukati’s presidential results.
They said they will not take ownership of the results.
Holding a surprise press conference at Serena Hotel, in Nairobi, moments before the IEBC boss announced the results, the commissioners alleged that the results were arrived at in an opaque manner without giving further details.
“We are not at Bomas because we cannot take ownership of the results that are going to be announced,” Cherera said while promising to share more information at a later unspecified date.
Tensions and unrest were witnessed in different parts of Kenya following the disowning of the results. In the same breath, some Kenyans celebrated the annunciation of Ruto as the President-Elect.