Kenya’s elections chief declared Deputy President William Ruto the victor of a close presidential contest on Monday, but four other senior election officials said the week-long count was too opaque and disavowed the result amid tumultuous scenes.
As Kenyans awaited the official results of the election held over a week ago, Ruto had appeared to be ahead of longtime opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Juliana Cherera, his deputy, told the reporters at a different location that she and three other commissioners disclaimed the results minutes before the electoral commission chairman Wafula Chebukati declared Ruto the victor.
She remarked, “We are unable to claim ownership of the results that will be announced”.
Before Chebukati spoke, officials escorted diplomats and international elections out of the tallying hall after fights started.
Cherera urged the parties to resolve any disagreements in court amid worries that accusations of vote-rigging could spark violent scenes similar to those that followed presidential elections in 2007 and 2017.
Reporting by Duncan Miriri and George Obulutsa in Nairobi; writing by James Macharia Chege; editing by John Stonestreet, Mark Heinrich, and Catherine Evans; Ayenat Mersie in Kisumu; Nelson Ali in Eldoret; Joseph Akwiri in Mombasa; and Daud Yussuf in Garissa.
 and Kenya Kwanza political coalition reacts after being declared the winner of Kenya's presidential election.){kind=link}