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Protests in Kenya follow election hacking claim

Wednesday, August 09, 2017 - 02:04

President Uhuru Kenyatta had a commanding lead as votes were counted on Wednesday after Kenya's election but opposition leader Raila Odinga said hackers broke into election commission computer systems overnight, leading to massive fraud. Scarlett Cvitanovich reports.

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Fury spilling onto the streets of Kenya's capital Nairobi on Wednesday (August 9). These protestors chanting "Uhuru must go". That's incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta, who's facing allegations of massive fraud in the country's presidential election. Opposition leader Raila Odinga told media on Wednesday hackers had broken into the election commission's computer systems overnight (SOUNDBITE) (English) OPPOSITION LEADER AND KENYA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, RAILA ODINGA, SAYING: "The electoral fraud and fabrication of results was massive and extensive to the extent that as a result of the 47 counties were manipulated. You have uncovered the fraud, Uhuru must go home." Responding to the claims, the election commission said the voting process was free and fair, but it is now investigating whether its computer system was hacked. The country went to the polls on Tuesday (August 8), voting in a presidential race pollsters said was neck and neck. But early results quickly gave Kenyatta a commanding lead. With more than 80 percent of results reported, he was ahead by a margin of nearly 1.4 million ballots. Odinga doesn't agree with those numbers, saying his own tally puts him well in front. Speaking at the news conference he told his supporters to remain calm but added, quote, "I don't control the people." Shortly afterwards police were called to disperse Odinga supporters from the streets of Kisumu, the western city a stronghold of the opposition leader. (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER, SAYING: "Let peace reign, and peace will only reign if they can accept to our demands." A decade ago Odinga cried foul in an election marred by major irregularities and around 12-hundred people were killed in a campaign of ethnic violence that followed. Kenyan officials are working to calm tensions, warning they will act against online agitators and telling people to go about their business as normal while the votes are counted.