Specter of Violence Looms Over Kenya After Two Chaotic Votes
- Up to 80 killed in election-related clashes, rights groups say
- Political standoff likely to continue, analyst Mutiga says
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The specter of political violence lingers over Kenya after two shambolic elections within three months left the East African nation no closer to resolving a stalemate over who’s its rightful leader.
While President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner of both contests, his main rival Raila Odinga rejected the Aug. 8 vote as rigged and boycotted a court-ordered Oct. 26 rerun, saying the electoral agency ignored his demands to fire staff and change voting procedures. Opposition supporters have staged scores of protests, blockading roads and stoning police, who’ve responded with teargas and live ammunition.