William Ruto wins Kenya’s presidential race

Ruto gets 50.49% of the total vote, while his main opponent Raila Odinga has 48.85%, according to electoral body

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) – Kenya’s electoral commission on Monday announced William Samoei Ruto as the fifth president of the East African nation.

Announcing the election results, Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commissioners (IEBC) head Wafula Chebukati said Ruto won 7,176,141 votes, 50.49% of the total vote, while his main opponent, 77-year-old former Prime Minister Raila Odinga had 48.85% (6,942,930 votes).

Ruto, 55, has served as the deputy president in Kenya for the past 10 years, working with outgoing Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“I want to promise Kenyans that I will run a transparent, open, and democratic government,” Ruto said in a televised address following his victory.

He ran in the election with the Kenya Kwanza coalition and said earlier that his government will focus on transforming the country's economy to achieve durable growth while maintaining macroeconomic stability and empowering the people at the bottom of the pyramid.

Earlier on Monday, four out of seven commissioners from IEBC led by Vice-chairman Juliana Cherera disowned the results of the elections.

Two other electoral commissioners were injured during a scuffle that happened at Bomas of Kenya, where the election results were announced.

Kaynak: