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A Kenyan Jubilee?

jubileeCounting was continuing yesterday following Monday’s general election in Kenya, with much of the interest focused on the race for the presidency, with the two leading contenders being Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of the country’s first president, and Raila Odinga, the son of the country’s first vice president. As at lunch time yesterday, with results from 37% of polling stations counted, Kenyatta was leading with 55% of the vote, followed by Odinga on 41%.

If Kenyatta does win, the country will be in for some interesting times. Kenyatta and his running mate, vice-presidential candidate William Ruto, have both been indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity alleged to have been committed in the wake of the last Kenyan elections. At that time, Kenyatta and Ruto were on opposite sides, and they are alleged to have sent their tribesmen to butcher each other. Now they are drawn together as partners in the Jubilee alliance.

If Kenyatta and Ruto are convicted by the ICC, the country may face the embarrassment of having its president and vice president sent to prison. If, on the other hand, they use the power gained through success in the elections to avoid appearances at the ICC, the country may be subjected to sanctions by other countries. However, it is still too early to call the result of the elections, as widely varying results are received from different regions.