Kenya election result: William Ruto announced as winner of presidential vote - as it happened

Summary

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

Live Reporting

Song and dance in Raila strongholdpublished at 13:40 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
Residents in Kisumu county are dancing as they await the big announcement.
The BBC's Roncliffe Odit who is in Kondele neighbourhood has tweeted a video of the ongoing celebrations in Raila Odinga's heartland.
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There are no police patrols or heavy deployment of security in Kisumu town ahead of the announcement.
Ruto stronghold kneels in prayerpublished at 13:25 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
Deputy President William Ruto's stronghold of Eldoret town was at standstill as residents knelt down in prayer, the BBC's Emmanuel Igunza reports.
For five minutes, the entire central business district saw people kneeling together and praying for a Ruto win, peace in the country and that for whoever loses will accept the election result.
Residents are following the proceedings at the national tallying centre on a giant screen.
There is anxiety in the country as it awaits the announcement from the electoral commission that was scheduled to start 25 minutes ago.
Possible outcomespublished at 13:11 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
As we still await the result just a reminder that there are three possible outcomes after last Tuesday's vote:
- William Ruto wins
- Raila Odinga wins
- Election goes into a second-round run-off
A run-off will be declared if neither candidate gets more than 50% of the vote - this is possible as there are two other presidential hopefuls, though together they have registered less than 1% of the vote.
After the announcement, the result can be challenged in court. The candidates will have seven days to do this.
Ruto arrives at tallying centrepublished at 13:05 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
Image source, Citizen
One of the two main candidates - Deputy President William Ruto - has arrived at the Bomas cultural centre which has been turned into the national tallying centre for the election.
We are still waiting for his main rival, Raila Odinga.
A lot on the shoulders of whoever winspublished at 13:02 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
The cartoonist Igah for Kenya's Daily Nation has tried to sum up what lies ahead for whichever candidate emerges as the winner.
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The country facing tough economic times: rising prices, high unemployment and increasing debt. There are a lot of expectations that the new man at the top will be able to turn things round.
It will be hard to meet those expectations.
Presidential agents resurfacepublished at 12:55 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
The four presidential agents representing all candidates have emerged from a meeting with the electoral commission.
Those representing the front-runners were calm and attempts by members of the public following the proceedings on local television to read their mood have not been fruitful.
The agents were in a 30-minute meeting with the electoral commissioners.
Businesses close early ahead of announcementpublished at 12:45 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
Businesses and shops in the usually busy commercial district of Eastleigh in Nairobi have closed early ahead of the expected announcement of the presidential election result.
Several businessmen who spoke to the BBC's Ahmed Adan said they were afraid of violent celebrations or demonstrations following the announcement.
Construction sites were also spotted sending their workers home for the day.
In addition, some supermarkets were seen pulling their shutters down perhaps to signal the end of working day and for shoppers and workers to head home in time for the announcement of results.
Red carpet ready for Odinga supporterspublished at 12:31 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
A red carpet at the Kenya International Conference Centre - where supporters of Raila Odinga are expected to watch the results - has been rolled out.
Earlier we had said there was a subdued mood, but our reporter has said that people are beginning to arrive.
Nevertheless, there is lots of tension with most people making calls and there is a cloud of uncertainty hovering over things.
On the phone and waiting for news at Ruto HQpublished at 12:08 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
It seems that everyone at the headquarters of one of the leading candidates - William Ruto - is either making or receiving calls.
There are no premature celebrations - people there are just waiting like the rest of us.
Glued to the news in Ruto and Odinga heartlandspublished at 12:01 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
People are glued to TV screens in Raila Odinga's stronghold, Kisumu, watching and waiting for news from the the tallying centre in Nairobi. The announcement is expected to start at around 15:00 local time (12:00 GMT).
Image source, AFP
Meanwhile, supporters of William Ruto in Eldoret are hopeful that the slim lead he appeared to have earlier will bear out in the final results:
Image source, AFP
'All ready for Bomas'published at 11:49 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
Martha Karua, Raila Odinga;s running mate, has tweeted her readiness "for Bomas".
Bomas of Kenya is the cultural centre that's being used by the electoral commission as the national tallying centre, and where the presidential results are due to be announced.
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'Ecstatic' mood in Kisumu ahead of resultspublished at 11:33 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
The mood in Kisumu, in the western Kenya stronghold of Raila Odinga, is ecstatic, says the BBC's Roncliffe Odit.
The presidential election results are due to be announced at 15:00 local time (12:00 GMT), the electoral commission says.
But it is not clear who has won. Earlier, we had pictures of people celebrating in the stronghold of the other main candidate, William Ruto.
Here are some more photos from Kisumu:
In Kondele, there any more people who have gathered on the streets in anticipation of the election results
Veteran composer rallies anxious nationpublished at 11:28 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
Kenyan music composer Thomas Wesonga is leading the singing at the results centre. They are performing patriotic songs used in the 1980s that were used to rally the country behind the one-party rule of former President Daniel Moi.
Back then the songs were used to whip up support behind Moi's strongman politics and mock critics.
Some are questioning their continued used.
The songs are also older than most Kenyan youths, a big chunk of the population, and unrelatable to them on such an important day.
Journalist Patrick Gathara says the country seems stuck in the "good old days of Nyayo" - a mantra of Mr Moi's leadership.
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Cohesion commission urges Kenyans to maintain peacepublished at 11:12 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
Kenya's cohesion commission has asked Kenyans to maintain peace during and after the announcement of the presidential results.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has asked all Kenyans to "accept the results and allow any issues that may arise be addressed by our courts".
"This all important announcement will shape the future of our country but it is not a do or die situation by any stretch of the imagination. Kenya will move on successfully no matter who is president therefore our people need not worry," says NCIC chairman Samuel Kobia.
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The NCIC was set up in the wake of the violence that followed the 2007 election when at least 1,200 people were killed and 600,000 fled their homes after claims of a stolen election.
Results to be announced in two hourspublished at 11:03 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
As we've been saying preparations are in full swing for the announcement of the election outcome.
People inside the results centre have been enjoying the choirs - but the entertainment will have to continue for two more hours.
The electoral commission has said that the final results will come out at 15:00 local time (12:00 GMT).
Image source, IEBC
Diplomats present to watch announcementpublished at 10:42 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
The hall at the tallying centre in Nairobi is now full up. Among those waiting to find out who the next president will be are a host of diplomats.
The BBC's Anne Soy snapped them:
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Little activity at Odinga's communications centrepublished at 10:40 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
There is little happening at ex-Prime Minister Raila Odinga's communications centre in Nairobi, which has already been set up in anticipation of the result.
Mr Odinga is one of the front-runners, alongside Deputy President William Ruto, for the presidency.
Two presidential candidates arrive for announcementpublished at 10:32 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
Image source, Reuters
Two presidential candidates have arrived at the national tallying centre.
George Wajackoyah of the Roots party and David Mwaure of the Agano party excited those in attendance with a unity handshake.
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The two have been trailing behind in the provisional results that have been running on local media - registering less than 1% between them.
Mr Mwaure conceded on Sunday and endorsed Deputy President William Ruto.
Mr Wajackoyah in a statement called for peace and patience as the country awaits the grand announcement.
Heavy security at election tallying centrepublished at 10:22 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
There is heavy deployment of security personnel at Bomas - the cultural centre that has been converted into the national results tallying centre.
The BBC's Anne Soy has captured anti-riot and paramilitary officers stationed on the perimeter of the centre.
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Inside the auditorium, regular police have thrown a cordon of metal barriers to keep away both political sides from the main dais.
Admission into the auditorium is restricted to those with accreditation.
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Possible outcomespublished at 10:20 British Summer Time 15 August 2022
There are three possible outcomes after last Tuesday's vote:
- William Ruto wins
- Raila Odinga wins
- Election goes into a second-round run-off
A run-off will be declared if neither candidate gets more than 50% of the vote - this is possible as there are two other presidential hopefuls, though together they have registered less than 1% of the vote.