NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 12 – The Chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has warned top presidential candidates against declaring themselves winner amid anxiety over the final results.
Wafula Chebukati who is the Returning Officer of the presidential election said he is the only one mandated by law to declare the winner following Tuesday’s election.
“No one should declare themselves winner or release their own results,” he said during an update early Friday at the Bomas of Kenya, “that is the work of the commission and the Returning Officer.
Chebukati’s warning follows threats by some of the party officials that they will release results of their own tally if IEBC does not announce the winner.
A section of media houses undertaking their own tally are also yet to complete the process that started on Tuesday night.
By 1am Friday, 80 Returning Officers had arrived at the Bomas of Kenya with results on Form 34 A for verification.
Chebukati, who had released results from 5 constituencies committed to hastening the verification process by increasing the number of verification desks from 5.
By Friday morning, Deputy President William Ruto was leading from 5 constituency results released so far with 84,812 votes against Raila Odinga’s 79,591.
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