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I have been encouraged thus far by the largely peaceful and orderly process - Ban/FILE

Kenya

‘IEBC has the will, give them time’ – UN chief

I have been encouraged thus far by the largely peaceful and orderly process - Ban/FILE

I have been encouraged thus far by the largely peaceful and orderly process – Ban/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 6 – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged Kenyans to be patient and refrain from utterances likely to undermine the credibility of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

In a statement, Ban recognised extra efforts the IEBC took in ensuring the Kenyan General Election was conducted transparently and democratically.

“The candidates, political leaders and their supporters should maintain the same calm and patience to allow the electoral commission to complete its tallying of the votes, and to refrain from any pronouncements that could undermine its authority or cause tension,” Ban appealed.

While he recognised the anxiety to know the winners in the elections, he urged Kenyans to continue observing peace as they wait for the final results.

The Secretary General further encouraged authorities and the rest of Kenyans not to falter in their peace efforts citing the minimal incidences of violence witnessed in Mombasa.

He also urged the IEBC to soldier on since it was already on the right track in giving Kenyans credible and transparent results.

Ban also praised Kenyans for maintaining peace despite the few hitches that have led to a delay in releasing final results.

“I have been encouraged thus far by the largely peaceful and orderly process, despite some incidents of violence and some technical problems. We have all seen the inspiring images of Kenyans turning out in large numbers, with great patience, to exercise their democratic rights,” he asserted.

He was positive that Kenya will conclude its election peacefully. “A peaceful, credible conclusion to the election is within Kenya’s reach and would be a significant step for Kenyan democracy and stability.”

Previously, IEBC had hoped to release presidential results within the first 48 hours after voting on Monday.

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However, due to technical hitches, voting stretched in some polling centres in the country which has led to further delay in release of final results.

IEBC has said it expects to begin announcing official results from Wednesday.

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