NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 12 – Kenyans are still waiting with bated breath for the provisional results and official declaration of the presidential results by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
As at 1:15pm, the commission had verified and announced results from six constituencies verified from 695 polling stations out of 46,229 across the country.
So far, the Wafula Chebukati led commission has verified results from Webuye East, Baringo Central,Ol jororok, Kathiani, Kangundo, and Lamu East constituencies.
In the results tallied currently, United Democratic Alliance leader William Ruto is leading with 104,517 votes out of the 206,393 votes casted.
Azimio La Umoja One Kenya is following closely with 99,672 in the verified results from the form 34B delivered by the constituency returning officers.
Ruto is also leading in the 25 percent vote threshold in total votes obtained so far with 5 counties with Odinga having four so far.
The commission has been carrying the process a bit slowly with the IEBC Chair saying they will set up more stations to carry out the process to ensure it done expeditiously.
So far only 6 out of the 290 form 34B have been verified despite more than 80 returning officers having delivered the results form from the polling stations for verification.
“We shall increase more desk so that the exercise can move a bit more faster and we can conclude the exercise,” Chebukati stated.
The commission gives the commission seven days from elections to verify, tally, announce and declare a winner in the general elections.
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.
The National 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.
