The head of a media council set up by the Kenyan government said that even after observers noticed a dramatic slowdown in coverage of the presidential He said he was not asked to stop counting election results. Close combat.
David Omwoyo, his CEO of Kenya's Media Council, told The Associated Press on Friday that "no one is asking them to stop," but that "the numbers I want it to match," he added. Please review our numbers.
As he spoke, he said he was going to meet with media leaders.
Local media observers and journalists said the tallying of presidential election results forms posted online by the Electoral Commission for the Kenyan television network, NTV Kenya and Citizen TV, was stopped or slowed Thursday night. expressed concern.
The competitive media tally has raised concerns among some Kenyans. Longtime opposition leader Laila Odinga faced Vice President William in her fifth presidential election with the backing of her former rival and outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta. She hit it off with her president Ruto many years ago.
Kenya may have a runoff vote for the first time.
The publication of the result forms was intended to be a landmark effort in the transparency of the Electoral Commission. It has come under pressure after overturning the results of the last presidential election in 2008. For the first time in Africa. Kenyatta gets new votes after Odinga boycotts.
Electoral Commission Chairman Wahra Chebkati even appeared to tease local media that they were "delayed" in tallying more than 46,000 result forms submitted from across the country the day after Tuesday's election. But on Thursday he stressed that only the election commission can declare a winner. and will consult with media owners and editors to "find an urgent solution to this to ensure that Kenyans receive synchronized results."
A candidate needs more than half of the total votes cast and at least 25% of the vote in more than half of her 47 counties in Kenya to win outright. If there is no outright winner, this means a runoff vote will be held within 30 days.
The official results will be announced within a week after the vote, but there is growing impatience among some Kenyans. Some have come to count the much smaller set of result forms for the 291 precincts posted online by the Electoral Commission. Over 65% of them were posted on Friday morning.
Human rights groups have warned that "levels of false or misleading information being shared on social media are rising" as the country awaits official results.
27}
Voter turnout plummeted in this election, reaching 65%. Some Kenyans grew tired of seeing their long-standing political leaders participate in voting, and expressed frustration over economic problems such as widespread corruption and rising prices.
