See the chaotic scenes as Kenya elects new president
By Meara Karanja, New Vision Africa
14 January 2013
Presidential elections took place in Kenya on Saturday (January 9), as the ruling Jubilee coalition—led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the son of the country’s first president, Jomo Kenyatta—won a historic mandate to end the 45-year rule of the KANU (Kenya National Union) party.
The election saw unprecedented chaos.
Before the polls, opposition candidate Raila Odinga urged supporters to “defend our values and dignity” and told supporters that the new government was going to “transform Kenya.”
The result is a victory for the KANU party, with the ruling Jubilee coalition winning a landslide victory and the opposition the election results declared by the Supreme Court as illegal. President Barack Obama hailed the development, saying that the country was now “free, rich and strong and is united.”
The outcome, however, exposes the deep roots of Kenya’s political instability and economic collapse.
Odinga has made no secret of his admiration for the current president, Uhuru Kenyatta. He described his current government as “a coalition government, a democratic coalition.”
“We are going to work together to make the country better. A better, safer, wealthier, more united and economically stronger,” he said.
Odinga called for a new constitution, which would provide greater powers to the state and “give us the confidence that we have achieved democracy.”
He also stated that he would be “seeking cooperation between all major sectors in the country.”
The vote took place in five regional constituencies, with around 40 percent turnout recorded in the East Central, Rift Valley, Rift Valley, Coast and Rift Valley zones. In most of
