| Saturday, 28 December, 2002, 15:06 GMT
Early lead for Kenyan opposition
President Moi has bid farewell to the armed forces Unofficial results from Kenya's presidential elections give the main opposition candidate, Mwai Kibaki, a comfortable early lead.
Election officials are still counting votes after a day of polling which saw people flock to cast ballots to elect a successor to President Daniel arap Moi, a new parliament and local councils.
Mr Kibaki has 72% of the presidential vote, according to the Institute for Education in Democracy (IED), a Kenyan non-governmental organisation, which advises the electoral commission. Uhuru Kenyatta of the ruling Kanu party - handpicked by Mr Moi - is trailing with 26% but has won his parliamentary seat, according to the French news agency, AFP, quoting the electoral commission. Official results will be announced on Sunday or Monday. Voting continued on Saturday in some areas, after heavy rain disrupted the poll on Friday. Private radio stations have also been reported the results from polling stations around the country. They also give Mr Kibaki a clear lead over Mr Kenyatta. 'Free and fair' Commonwealth election observers have hailed the "orderly" poll. "The people of Kenya, the political leaders and the parties deserve to be congratulated on their demonstrated belief in, and commitment to, democratic values and ethics, in particular to free, fair, peaceful and transparent elections," a statement said.
The BBC's Gray Phombeah in the coastal resort of Mombasa reports that opposition supporters have been celebrating their apparent victory in the town, throughout the night. "It appears that we are on the eve of a historic victory. This is the Christmas gift Narc promised Kenyans," said Raila Odinga a senior figure in Mr Kibaki's National Rainbow Coalition (Narc). But Kanu officials say Narc and those releasing early results are "usurping" the role of the electoral commission. "The electoral commission is the final authority on the elections and we are waiting for results from them," said Kanu's William Ruto. Polling agent killed
Vice President Musalia Mudavadi has lost his parliamentary seat, as have several cabinet ministers, losses which could deal a severe blow to the Kanu party. IED reports that Narc candidates have won 49 parliamentary seats, against 15 for Kanu. Mr Kibaki has retained his seat in the central Othaya constituency, AFP reports.
One of the minor presidential candidates, James Orengo, failed to keep his parliamentary seat. The BBC's Ishbel Matheson in Nairobi says the election has been the most peaceful poll in the country since the introduction of multi-party elections in 1992. However, a policeman in a vehicle carrying ballot papers mistakenly shot dead a polling agent and his assistant in another car in the western district of Kisii on Friday night, Reuters news agency reports. This is despite hundreds of people finding that their names were not on the electoral register and opposition accusations of vote-rigging. 'That's democracy'
Mr Moi has urged the armed forces to support whoever wins the poll. He was speaking at an official farewell ceremony to hundreds of Kenya's army, air force and navy troops.
Asked if he was disappointed that Kanu, seemed to be losing the election, Mr Moi replied: "That's democracy." He is due to stand down as president on 5 January. The opposition campaign has focused on promises to end corruption and has attacked Kanu's record during its 39 years in power. The economy is stagnating and more than half of the 30 million population live on less than $1 a day. Analysts say that Mr Moi is one of the last of Africa's "big men" - who built up personality cults in the countries they ruled - often for many decades. |
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27 Dec 02 | Africa
27 Dec 02 | Media reports
23 Dec 02 | Africa
28 Dec 02 | Africa
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