Tensions rise ahead of election re-run in Kenya

CAIRO – 26 September 2017: Kenyan police used tear gas and batons on Tuesday to disperse protesters, calling for election officials to be sacked before the re-run of a contested presidential vote.

Several volleys of tear gas were fired near the election commission headquarters in central Nairobi, a Reuters witness said. When protestors regrouped, officers fired more tear gas and beat some with batons. By mid-afternoon calm had returned.

On September 24, the African Football Confederation (CAF) announced that the African Championship "CHAN" 2018 will be withdrawn from Kenya as a result of the chaos, and that candidacy for the country wishing to host it will be opened.

The electoral commission said the competition would be between only two candidates, Uhuru Kenyatta, 55, who was announced as the winner on August 11 with 54.27 percent of the vote, and his main opponent Raila Odinga, 72, who attained 44.74 percent of the vote.

The other six candidates, who received less than 1 percent of the vote will not be allowed to participate in these elections.

The Supreme Court of Kenya announced on Sept. 21 that President Uhuru Kenyatta had been defeated for "irregularities" committed by the Electoral Commission during the last vote that was held last month.

With this ruling, Kenya becomes the first African country to annul a presidential election.

The Kenyan Electoral Commission also announced on Sept. 21 that the date for re-election was set for Oct. 26, instead of Oct. 17.

The election commission has asked the opposition to call off protests until the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) explains the various measures being taken to "enhance the credibility and integrity" of the vote.

Some Kenyatta supporters also took to the streets in Nairobi, but there were no clashes reported between the two sides.

Ahead of Tuesday's demonstrations by the opposition National Super Alliance coalition, Kenyatta had said violence would not be tolerated.

"People are free to demonstrate but they must ensure that they do not destroy other people's property," he said.

He added, "let them not think that they will break into other people's shops and interfere with the daily routine of other Kenyans. That, we shall not allow."

In the western city of Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold where some 3,000 protesters gathered, one protester, a vegetable market vendor Hellen Aketch said: "I will support anything that assures me of the validity and the safety of my vote in the upcoming elections."

Kenyatta criticized the court's decision to cancel the elections' results as a "coup;" however, he said he would take part in the run-off.