Ruto wins Kenya election - reaction as it happened

1. William Ruto, the current deputy president, is declared winner of Kenya's election with 50.49% of the vote
2. He narrowly beat veteran politician Raila Odinga, who took 48.85%
3. The result comes amid chaos and confusion with angry scenes among Odinga's supporters
4. In a split in the election commission, four of the seven commissioners say they can't "take ownership" of the result
5. Odinga's coalition say they cannot verify the results; Candidates have seven days to challenge the result in court
6. 'I want to promise all the people of Kenya... that this will be their government,' says Ruto in his first address
7. Some 14 million people voted in last week's ballot and the turnout was 65%

The day Ruto won the election

We're ending our live coverage of the reaction to Kenya's presidential election result, but here is a summary of what happened through the day:

• After six days of counting and verifying the results, the election commission said there would be an announcement at 15:00 local time (12:00 GMT)
• That timing kept slipping and it became clear that there were last-minute objections
• The election agents for Raila Odinga came out to say that they could not verify the result
• Four electoral commissioners announced that they were unable to "take ownership of the result"
• Despite this, the head of the electoral commission said that William Ruto had won the election with 50.49% of the vote
• Mr Ruto then pledged to work for all Kenyans, saying that the results process was "the most transparent ever" in Kenya
• Celebrations broke out in the Ruto heartlands - but there were also protests in the key Odinga areas

You can follow the latest developments on this story here.

We were not updated on results - election commissioner

One of the four members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to disown the election result has briefly explained why to the BBC's Newshour programme.

Francis Wanderi said that "we had not been updated all along the process - and we had been requesting [the chairman of the commission] to update on how the result tabulation was going on.

"Then we came to the final result tally and we felt we were not part of that final report, although we had carried out the elections in the most transparent manner."

He then hung up.

Pro-Odinga protests turn violent

AFP

Police have responded with tear gas as disappointed supporters of runner-up Raila Odinga continue their protests in Kisumu.

They and the coalition they support believe the results that were announced were rigged, claims that Mr Ruto has dismissed.

AFP

AFP

There have also been violent scenes in the Kibera district of Nairobi, another stronghold of Mr Odinga.

Demonstrators told the AFP news agency that Mr Odinga - who they call "Baba" meaning father - had the election stolen from him.

AFP

AFP

Ruto warns against media bias and hails 'improvement'

William Ruto has now finished his first press conference as president-elect, but in some of his last comments he talked about the media.

"Let us not go there," Mr Ruto replied to a Capital FM journalist when she raised comments he'd made in the past accusing the media of bias.

Mr Ruto was also asked whether he had a strained relationship with the media.

He replied that "those are figments of imaginations of people who are running away from their own shadows.

"We are not ending this evening the conversation. I intend to engage you as media outlets going forward - because I believe in the freedom of the media, and I believe the media has a role to play," he added.

"Let me tell you - when I criticise the media, it's because I believe in the media and I want the media to do the right thing."

He told reporters: "We do not want the media to be biased... I think there has been some improvement, I want you to continue to be even."

Somalia calls for closer ties with Kenya's president-elect

Somalia's president says he "warmly congratulates" Kenya's president-elect, William Ruto.

The East African neighbours have close connections but diplomatic relations had deteriorated in recent years, partly over a maritime territory dispute.

The tweet from the Somali president's office pointedly called for "stronger bilateral relations" and greater cooperation:

Revellers brave the rain to celebrate Ruto

David Wafula

BBC News, Nakuru

BBC

Whether by foot, on motorbikes or standing up in moving cars - people in the city of Nakuru in Kenya's Rift Valley have been chanting slogans celebrating William Ruto's win.

Hundreds of people are here in the city centre, many of them doing laps around one of the main roads.

The wider Rift Valley is Mr Ruto's stronghold. It's a vote-rich area and was regarded as a key battleground in this electoral race.

BBC

BBC

Commissioners' objections are a side show - Ruto

BBC

The BBC's Anne Soy asked the president-elect what he made of the objections of four of the commissioners to the result:

"This election to the best of my knowledge… and the majority of Kenyans know, that there was no other outcome of this election.

"And maybe we encourage those commissioners – they know what to do... they need to follow the constitutionally provided legal channels of addressing their concerns.

"What I am very happy about is that this election was the most transparent ever conducted in Kenya, and I believe the majority of Kenyans share those views.

"Maybe the people who are disappointed are the people who believed in the deep state, and erroneously believed the results could be changed."

And then responding to a follow-up from the New York Times, Mr Ruto said:

"It's not for the commissioners to declare the results - it is for the returning officer [Wafula Chebukati]. The four commissioners pose no threat at all to the legality of the result... The returning officer declared the result in accordance to the law - any other thing is a side show."

Ruto: We respect our institutions

BBC

William Ruto was asked what he would do if the election result was challenged in the courts:

"I'm a democrat. I believe in the rule of law. I respect our institutions.

"As a democrat we will respect every other decision of any institutions, because we are believers of building our institutions."

He was also asked what he made of the attempts to stop the result announcement being made:

He described it as an "unfortunate situation".

And he added that it was "an attempt by our competitors to roll back what we have achieved as a country."

He also said that everyone knew the result - even "someone from the moon" knew that he had won this morning.

Ruto promises to serve all Kenyans equally

President-elect William Ruto has said he wants to serves the interests and needs of all of Kenya's regions:

"We believe in an inclusive government and in any case the people of Kenya have spoken very loudly... They have raised the bar for the leadership of Kenya."

He also spoke of the need for an "inclusive" government both in the backgrounds of the people who serve in it, but also the projects it undertakes.

Ruto says he spoke to rival this morning

Citizen

William Ruto is giving his first press conference since being declared president-elect and has been talking about the transition:

"I'm sure there will be a discussion between the current president myself... this evening, maybe tomorrow."

He also revealed that he spoke to Raila Odinga on the phone this morning:

"As a democrat maybe I should disclose that this morning I called my competitor, Raila Odinga.

"We agreed that whatever the result we should have a conversation.

"I am sure my competitor will take up his role... so we can see how we can move the country forward."

Ruto quotes Bible verse after election win

President-elect William Ruto's Twitter account has shared some words of inspiration from the Bible.

Firstly:

"In that day you will say: “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted."

And:

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'"

The key to Ruto's success

Anne Soy

BBC News, Nairobi

Reuters

It was the closest of races.

But one key to William Ruto’s success was the way he took votes from the base that had previously been loyal to incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta.

Mr Kenyatta had backed former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to become the next president.

The vote-rich central Kenya defied the president, who hails from the region, and voted overwhelmingly for Mr Ruto.

He also split areas that traditionally solidly supported Mr Odinga in the western and coastal regions.

Mr Odinga has tried unsuccessfully to become president five times. He told the BBC that at the age of 77, this would be his last attempt.

Kenyan elections have long been decided along ethnic lines. Both Mr Ruto and Mr Odinga enjoyed near-absolute support from their communities, the Kalenjin in the Rift Valley and the Luo along Lake Victoria respectively.

However, an element of class politics emerged during the campaigns that tilted the vote in Mr Ruto’s favour.

Mr Ruto had told voters he was the son of a nobody who’d risen from hawking live chickens by the roadside to the top of Kenyan politics. He coined the phrase "hustler nation" to reflect his humble roots.

The slogan gave him broad appeal and helped shift the debate to economics, rather than ethnic identity.

Odinga's running mate hints at legal appeal

Until just a moment ago, we'd not heard anything from Raila Odinga's camp.

But his running mate, Martha Karua, has now broken the silence with a tweet saying "It is not over till it's over".

We can't say for sure what the slightly cryptic tweet means, but many people suspect it suggests that Mr Odinga's Azimio coalition will challenge Monday's election result in court.

Under Kenyan law, presidential candidates have seven days in which to lodge an appeal.

Road blocks and anger in Raila heartland

Roncliffe Odit

BBC News, Kisumu

There is huge disappointment and hurt for Raila Odinga's supporters that he has lost his fifth, and some fear final, attempt at the Kenyan presidency.

Hundreds of people have been gathering on the streets of Kisumu - his supporter stronghold - where the mood has turned from excitement to one of anger.

Some people have erected road blocks and fires. Anti-riot police were deployed to parts of the city earlier on.

Supplied

Who is William Ruto?

Getty Images

• Age: 55
• Served as deputy president since 2013 but fell out with boss President Uhuru Kenyatta
• First attempt at running for president
• Second-youngest person to win the presidency
• Has a PhD in plant ecology from the University of Nairobi
• Worked as a street trader as a teenager

• One of Kenya’s biggest maize farmers
• Charged by the International Criminal Court over post-election violence – charges later dropped

Read more on the president-elect:

• William Ruto's rise from chicken seller to Kenya's president-elect

What the electoral commission split means

Kenyans have now been told that they elected William Ruto as their next president, yet only minutes before the announcement the vice-chairperson of the electoral commission, Juliana Cherera, said she and three other electoral commissioners could not "take ownership" of the result.

There are just seven commissioners in all.

The announcement of the breakaway group has heightened anxiety in the country.

The electoral law however gives the chairperson the role of declaring the presidential election result.

Wafula Chebukati did just that and now Mr Ruto is lined up to be the next president.

Raila Odinga's team can challenge the result in court - and has seven days to lodge a case.

Remember that in 2017 he followed the legal route and the Supreme Court eventually decided that the presidential election had to be re-run.

Delight for dancing Ruto backers

There is delight at William Ruto's party headquarters in Nairobi, where people have broken into dance after his election win:

Angela Ngendo/BBC

Angela Ngendo/BBC

Zimbabwe president hails Ruto victory in Kenya

Emmerson Mnangagwa, the president of Zimbabwe, has welcomed the news that William Ruto is to be Kenya's next president.

"I have no doubt he will serve his country, his people and our continent with distinction", he said in a tweet.

Results of Kenya's presidential election

So just to recap the results:

• William Ruto has been declared Kenya's president-elect, winning 50.49% of votes
• His closest competitor was Raila Odinga, who the electoral commission says took 48.85%
• Trailing far behind were George Wajackoyah and David Mwaure. They took less than 1% combined.

First cabinet minister speaks

Kenya's Tourism Minister Najib Balala has become the first cabinet minister to congratulate William Ruto.

Mr Balala was among ministers who did not openly campaign for President Uhuru Kenyatta's candidate Raila Odinga.

Mr Ruto had during campaigns called out ministers who were attending his opponent's campaigns accusing them of politicising the cabinet against the law that bars public servants from engaging in politics.

Here is Mr Balala's tweet: