Kenya (MNN) — Kenya’s election results are finally in, nearly a week after election day. The former deputy president, William Ruto, is now Kenya’s fifth* President, winning by the smallest of margins.
Nehemiah with FMI says the race was almost too close to call. “Veteran opposition leader and foreign political prisoner Raila Odinga is neck and neck with outgoing Deputy President William Ruto,” Nehemiah said in the moments leading up to the final tally.
“[The] situation is very tough; they are running 49 percent versus 49 percent.”
The election results are clear, but a tangible tension remains. Three election officials were critically injured during the announcement ceremony yesterday. FMI’s partners worry about unrest in the days ahead.
“We can see chaos in the atmosphere,” Nehemiah says.
“People are so concerned; in the history (of Kenya), we usually see massive violence right after the election results are announced.”
Kenyan politics carry ethnic undertones. More about that here.
Final unofficial result by counties of Kenya 2022 elections.
(Wikimedia Commons)
“In the 1990s, the ruling party attacked and burned opposition supporters’ homes. After general elections in 2007, 1,300 people were killed and 600,000 people left displaced,” Nehemiah says.
FMI supports indigenous church planters in the world’s most strategic regions, including Kenya. More about that here. Election-related unrest and violence could put believers at risk.
“Please pray for the people of Kenya, especially FMI’s partners serving in this difficult situation,” Nehemiah says.
“When I was talking to our national director, he was so concerned.”
Learn how to support indigenous missionaries through FMI.
*NOTE: Some people consider Queen Elizabeth II the first ruler. While Queen Elizabeth II was a head of state for Kenya, she was not an elected leader. Kenya declared independence in 1963 and elected its first president, Jomo Kenyatta.
Header image depicts then-Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology William Ruto at the 2010 IAEA General Conference in Vienna, Austria. (Wikimedia Commons)
