Kenya president snubs vote crisis meeting, presses ahead with campaign

Kenya president snubs vote crisis meeting, presses ahead with campaign

NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta snubbed a crisis meeting called by the top election official for Thursday, saying he would instead spend the day campaigning for next week’s presidential vote re-run. The first presidential vote in August, which Kenyatta won by 1.4 million votes, was annulled by the Supreme Court over procedural irregularities. The re-run is set for Oct. 26 but opposition leader Raila Odinga has pulled out, alleging a…

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Kenya Electoral Official Quits Saying Vote Won’t Be Credible

Kenya Electoral Official Quits Saying Vote Won’t Be Credible

NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – A top Kenyan electoral official resigned and fled the East African nation a week before a scheduled rerun of an annulled presidential vote, saying it won’t be credible. Independent Electoral & Boundaries Commission staff face intimidation by political actors and protesters, senior personnel are serving partisan interests and the training of presiding officers is being rushed, Commissioner Roselyn Akombe said in an emailed statement on Wednesday. Akombe said by phone she’s…

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Kenyan Electoral Authority in Disarray a Week Before Vote Rerun

Kenyan Electoral Authority in Disarray a Week Before Vote Rerun

KENYA (Capital Markets in Africa) – Preparations for Kenya’s presidential election rerun next week are in disarray after a top official of the commission organizing the vote resigned and fled the East African nation and its chairman said his efforts to ensure a credible ballot are being thwarted. Roselyn Akombe quit the Independent Electoral & Boundaries Commission, citing issues including the intimidation of staff by “political actors” and protesters, and she accused unidentified senior personnel…

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Kenya Opposition Suspends Vote Protests as Supporters Killed

Kenya Opposition Suspends Vote Protests as Supporters Killed

NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – Kenya’s main opposition group suspended protests calling for electoral reform as it accused the government of deliberately targeting supporters in a series of killings since the country’s annulled presidential election in August. The death of a student in the western city of Kisumu on Monday was the latest in a series of murders as the country gears up for a rerun of the election next week, National Super Alliance…

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What’s Next in Kenya’s Political Crisis Is Anybody’s Guess

What’s Next in Kenya’s Political Crisis Is Anybody’s Guess

NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – Two months after Kenya staged its presidential election, the East African nation’s political future remains a guessing game. The drama began last month when the Supreme Court — in a first for Africa — annulled the Aug. 8 election because of “illegalities and irregularities” and ordered a fresh vote. That followed allegations by opposition candidate Raila Odinga that the original vote, won by President Uhuru Kenyatta, was rigged. The latest twist came…

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George Weah Takes Early Lead in Liberia Presidential Election Count

George Weah Takes Early Lead in Liberia Presidential Election Count

MONROVIA (Capital Markets in Africa) Former A.C. Milan soccer star George Weah and Vice President Joseph Boakai lead in Liberia’s presidential election as the electoral commission released provisional results of the October 10 vote. Weah won 39 percent of the vote, while Boakai got 31 percent, with about 548,000 ballots counted, Jerome Korkoya, chairman of the National Elections Commission, told reporters on Friday. The commission didn’t say how many of the 2.2 million registered voters took part in…

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Stock Traders Scarce in Kenya as Poll Crisis Clouds Outlook

Stock Traders Scarce in Kenya as Poll Crisis Clouds Outlook

NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – Traders are deserting Kenya’s stock market, a star performer earlier this year, as the unresolved crisis around the country’s presidential election discourages foreign investors. Volumes traded on the Nairobi stock exchange have slumped to the lowest this year, dropping to less than 46 million shares in the week ended Oct. 6 from as high as 285 million in June. Values have also dropped, with $870,000 of shares traded Thursday,…

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