<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="426" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/download-41.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-416399" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/download-41.jpg 640w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/download-41-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/download-41-135x90.jpg 135w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /><figcaption>Pedestrians walk in front of Ghana&#8217;s central bank building in Accra, Ghana, November 16, 2015. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



ACCRA, Aug 15 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Ghana&#8217;s monetary policy committee will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to review recent economic developments, the central bank said in a statement on Monday.



Last week data showed that consumer inflation accelerated to 31.7% annually in July, its highest since late 2003, and the government&#8217;s top statistician warned that it was not possible to say whether prices had peaked.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2ZM3A6&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Wednesday&#8217;s &#8220;meeting will conclude with an announcement of the decisions of the committee,&#8221; the bank said.



The committee usually meets every two months and the next meeting was meant to be held at the end of September.



At its July 25 meeting, the bank kept its main interest rate&nbsp;GHCBIR=ECI&nbsp;unchanged at 19%, after increasing it by 550 basis points since the end of last year to tackle rampant inflation.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2Z62TJ&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



(Reporting by Cooper Inveen; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Alistair Bell)

download-41

Ghana monetary policy committee to hold emergency meeting on Wednesday

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/OR2ANVUMGFIXPHUHXGKEJWWR7A-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419201" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/OR2ANVUMGFIXPHUHXGKEJWWR7A-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/OR2ANVUMGFIXPHUHXGKEJWWR7A-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/OR2ANVUMGFIXPHUHXGKEJWWR7A-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/OR2ANVUMGFIXPHUHXGKEJWWR7A-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/OR2ANVUMGFIXPHUHXGKEJWWR7A-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/OR2ANVUMGFIXPHUHXGKEJWWR7A-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Kenya&#8217;s Deputy President William Ruto and presidential candidate for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Kenya Kwanza political coalition reacts after being declared the winner of Kenya&#8217;s presidential election at the IEBC National Tallying Centre at the Bomas of Kenya, in Nairobi, Kenya August 15, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI/KISUMU, Aug 15 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Kenya&#8217;s elections chief declared Deputy President William Ruto the winner of a tight presidential race on Monday but some senior election officials disowned the result, fuelling fears of widespread violence like that seen after previous disputed polls.



Hailing the electoral commission as &#8220;heroes&#8221; after he was declared the winner, Ruto said: &#8220;There is no looking back. We are looking to the future. We need all hands on deck to move forward.&#8221;



The 55-year-old had made Kenya&#8217;s class divisions the centrepiece of his campaign to become Kenya&#8217;s fifth president, promising to reward low-income &#8220;hustlers.&#8221;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2ZR0H1&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



He was also scornful of Kenya’s political dynasties &#8211; his opponent Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta, son of the nation&#8217;s first vice president and president, respectively. Kenyatta, who has served his two-term limit as president, fell out with Ruto after the last election and this time endorsed Odinga, making his fifth attempt at winning the presidency.



Once in office, Ruto will have to confront an economic and social crisis in East Africa&#8217;s most advanced economy, where poor Kenyans already reeling from the impact of COVID-19 have been hit by global rises in food and fuel prices.



The worst drought for 40 years has devastated the country&#8217;s north, leaving 4.1 million people dependent on food aid, while its debt levels have soared.



Ruto, who heads the Kenya Kwanza (Kenya First) Alliance, had appeared to be leading opposition leader Odinga as Kenyans awaited final results of the election held nearly a week ago.



Minutes before the chairman of the electoral commission Wafula Chebukati announced that Ruto had won, his deputy Juliana Cherera had told media at a separate location that she and three other commissioners disowned the results.



&#8220;We are not able to take ownership of the results that will be announced, because of the opaque nature of this last phase of the general election,&#8221; she said.



The electoral commission has seven commissioners.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HISTORY OF VIOLENCE</h2>



The electoral commission has introduced many checks and balances to try to prevent disputes like those that led to violence in which more than 1,200 people were killed following the 2007 election. In 2017, more than 100 people were killed after the Supreme Court quashed the initial result over irregularities in the electoral process.



Amid fears that vote-rigging allegations could lead to bloody scenes like those that followed presidential polls in 2007 and 2017, Cherera urged the parties to pursue any disputes through the courts.



Diplomats and international observers were whisked out of the tallying hall before Chebukati spoke, as scuffles broke out.



Before announcing Ruto as the winner, Chebukati said two commissioners and the electoral commission&#8217;s chief executive had been injured and were being treated.



Chebukati said Ruto had won 50.49% of the vote, against Odinga&#8217;s 48.5%.



The winning candidate must get 50% of votes plus one.



Kenya&#8217;s dollar-denominated government bonds fell by as much as 2.9 cents on the dollar, Tradeweb data showed.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2ZR3YU&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The United Nations took note of the results, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, and encouraged all candidates to &#8220;resort to legal channels to address any challenges that may arise.&#8221;



The U.S. embassy in Kenya urged all parties to work together to peacefully resolve concerns about the election.



&#8220;We ask all political party leaders to continue to urge their supporters to remain peaceful and refrain from violence,&#8221; it said in a statement.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-over">&#8216;NOT OVER&#8217;</h2>



Odinga did not attend the announcement. His running mate, Martha Karua later tweeted: &#8220;it is not over until it is over.&#8221;



Saitabao Kanchory, national chief agent for Odinga&#8217;s Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) Alliance told reporters outside the tallying centre that it would continue to &#8220;hold Wafula Chebukati &#8230; to account to the people of Kenya to deliver a free fair credible election.&#8221;



In the Kibera slums in Nairobi and Kisumu, both Odinga strongholds, the reaction was immediate.



Several plumes of black smoke rose in the streets of Kibera, mirroring similar scenes in Kisumu, to the west of the country, as people burned piles of tires. Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds.



In Kisumu, Governor Anyang&#8217; Nyong&#8217;o called for calm as protests in parts of the lakeside town turned violent after Ruto&#8217;s victory was declared. He said the Azimio leadership was working to plan its response to &#8220;ensure justice&#8221; for Odinga.



Amid shouts of &#8220;We need Raila now!&#8221;, &#8220;Chebukati must go!&#8221; and &#8220;No Raila, no peace!&#8221;, motorcycle drivers honked their horns and people blew into vuvuzelas and whistles.



By contrast, the mood in Eldoret &#8211; Ruto&#8217;s home turf &#8211; was ecstatic.



&#8220;We are very happy. I believe in the leader who was selected, I believe in the IEBC (the electoral commission),&#8221; said 25-year-old Eldoret resident Kenneth Kibitok.



&#8220;He is about the bottom up. People from down there will be up here,&#8221; said Kibitok, who had spent all day on a stretch of Eldoret sidewalk popular with Kenyans who like discussing politics.



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri and George Obulutsa in Nairobi, Ayenat Mersie in Kisumu, Nelson Ali in Eldoret, Joseph Akwiri in Mombasa and Daud Yussuf in Garissa; writing by James Macharia Chege; Editing by Mark Heinrich, Catherine Evans and Grant McCool)

Kenya’s election results are announced

Kenya’s Ruto declared president-elect in chaotic scenes

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/E2BW6AKXENLZHENCXHJUMBPRPQ-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419195" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/E2BW6AKXENLZHENCXHJUMBPRPQ-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/E2BW6AKXENLZHENCXHJUMBPRPQ-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/E2BW6AKXENLZHENCXHJUMBPRPQ-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/E2BW6AKXENLZHENCXHJUMBPRPQ-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/E2BW6AKXENLZHENCXHJUMBPRPQ.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Kenya&#8217;s Deputy President William Ruto and presidential candidate for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Kenya Kwanza political coalition walks before the announcement of the results of Kenya&#8217;s presidential election , in Nairobi, Kenya August 15, 2022. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI/KISUMU, Aug 15 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Kenya&#8217;s elections chief declared Deputy President William Ruto the winner of a tight presidential race on Monday but, amid chaotic scenes, four other senior election officials said the week-long count was too opaque and disowned the result.



Ruto had appeared to be leading long-time opposition leader Raila Odinga as Kenyans awaited final results of the election held nearly a week ago.



Minutes before the chairman of the electoral commission Wafula Chebukati announced that Ruto had won the vote, his deputy Juliana Cherera had told media at a separate location that she and three other commissioners disowned the results.



&#8220;We are not able to take ownership of the results that will be announced,&#8221; she said.



Diplomats and international elections were whisked out of the tallying hall before Chebukati spoke, as scuffles broke out.



Amid fears that vote-rigging allegations could lead to bloody scenes like those that followed presidential polls in 2007 and 2017, Cherera urged the parties to pursue any disputes through the courts.



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri and George Obulutsa in Nairobi, Ayenat Mersie in Kisumu, Nelson Ali in Eldoret, Joseph Akwiri in Mombasa and Daud Yussuf in Garissa;writing by James Macharia Chege; editing by John Stonestreet, Mark Heinrich and Catherine Evans)

E2BW6AKXENLZHENCXHJUMBPRPQ

Kenya election officials disown presidential election results

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="728" height="381" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/AMLMI7NKBBJEFAMDO6MDRRVYME.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419184" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/AMLMI7NKBBJEFAMDO6MDRRVYME.jpg 728w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/AMLMI7NKBBJEFAMDO6MDRRVYME-300x157.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/AMLMI7NKBBJEFAMDO6MDRRVYME-160x84.jpg 160w" sizes="(max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px" /><figcaption>As power crisis worsens, solar panels are seen next to housing units at the Palm Springs residential estate in Cosmo City, in Johannesbrug, South Africa, August 6, 2022. REUTERS/Shafiek Tassiem</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Aug 15 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Thanks to his rooftop solar panels, Pierre Moureau only notices the blackouts that regularly plunge South Africans into darkness when complaints pop up on his Johannesburg neighbourhood&#8217;s WhatsApp group.



&#8220;I have a certain standard of living,&#8221; said the 68-year-old financial planner, who likes to unwind in his home sauna. &#8220;I want to be able to live according to the way I am.&#8221;



As a worsening power crisis hobbles Africa&#8217;s most industrialised economy, provoking public ire,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/safrica-eskom-idUSL8N2Z64VL">President Cyril Ramaphosa</a>&nbsp;has promised to cut through red tape to boost coal-addicted South Africa&#8217;s use of renewable energy.



But many South Africans are not waiting for government action and their impatience has driven a boom in small-scale solar installations.



&#8220;I cannot be without power. It&#8217;s as simple as that,&#8221; said Moureau, whose panels power his home as well as his adjoining office. &#8220;Every minute I&#8217;m down costs me money.&#8221;



In the first five months of this year alone, South Africa imported solar PV panels worth nearly 2.2 billion rand ($135 million), a Reuters analysis of customs data found. That amounts to over 500 megawatts of peak generating capacity, analysts say.



Once installed, the panels will increase the 2.1 gigawatts of estimated existing small-scale solar generating capacity by some 24%, surpassing what the government has managed to procure in a decade of its utility-scale solar strategy.



&#8220;It&#8217;s completely unrecognised by the government as to how big an industry it&#8217;s become,&#8221; said Frank Spencer, spokesman for the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association. &#8220;It&#8217;s a silent revolution.&#8221;



It&#8217;s also a missed opportunity.



In a country that requires 4-to-6 gigawatts of additional production to end widespread power cuts, known locally as loadshedding, most systems are not registered and feed nothing back onto the power-starved grid.



And their high cost means, for now at least, they are only a solution for the relatively well-off, deepening divides in what is already one of the world&#8217;s most unequal societies.



&#8220;If you&#8217;ve got money, you can do it yourself,&#8221; said Solly Silaule, who, like nearly half of South Africans, is unemployed. &#8220;But the people who are suffering have no money to buy those panels.&#8221;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">&#8216;WE&#8217;VE HAD ENOUGH&#8217;</h2>



Despite abundant solar and wind resources, South Africa&#8217;s government has proved reluctant to adopt renewable energy. Until its relaunch in 2021, pressure from mining unions had ensured a programme of private, utility-scale projects was frozen for years.



But the decline of debt-crippled state power utility Eskom, which produces 80% of its power from coal, has increased the urgency of finding alternatives.



Tabi Tabi has witnessed that first-hand. In just one month last year, his solar company, Granville Energy, received 349 inquiries for rooftop systems.



&#8220;Over the past, I&#8217;d say 24 months, we&#8217;ve seen a continuous increase, month on month in demand,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;re seeing interest across the board.&#8221;



By the time one of his customers, Leigh Driemel, decided to install a 42-panel system at her swimming academy last year, her monthly power bill was running to around 26,000 rand and power cuts had begun forcing her to cancel classes.



&#8220;We were going to end up charging 300 rand for a swim lesson,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Who&#8217;s going to pay that? Our margins kept getting squeezed.&#8221;



She&#8217;s now insulated against blackouts and has cut her electricity bill by over 40%.



Across South Africa, private residents as well as businesses large and small are making similar calculations.



Cheaper solar PV and batteries, as well as the loosening last year of a regulation that had required government approval for systems of more than 1 megawatt, bolster the case for self-generated solar.



&#8220;Everyone is saying &#8216;Okay, we&#8217;ve had enough. We need a solution,'&#8221; said Mark Evans, director of Partners in Performance, a South African business advisory company.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sell-back-issue">SELL-BACK ISSUE</h2>



Advocates of small-scale solar say South Africa has a long way to go.



On a wall in Granville Energy&#8217;s main office, large screens show in real time how much power clients&#8217; solar systems produce. Having fully charged its battery, one home used just 20% of its generating capacity.



&#8220;It&#8217;s sad and it&#8217;s unfortunate that we&#8217;re wasting so much capacity,&#8221; Tabi said.



Announcing his planned reforms last month, Ramaphosa said Eskom will establish a pricing structure to allow those with solar panels to sell electricity they do not need back to the utility, a common practice in many countries.



As it stands, relatively few South African solar users feed power to the grid, and industry insiders say most small-scale systems have not been declared to the authorities, despite a legal requirement to register them.



In Johannesburg alone, it is estimated that there are more than 20,000 unregistered solar systems, most of them residential, an official from the city&#8217;s power distributor said.



In the absence of attractive tariffs, those customers are increasingly going off-grid.



&#8220;They are lost to the energy system forever,&#8221; the official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters. &#8220;It is far better to keep them on the grid, to be part of a working grid community.&#8221;



A fair power buy-back tariff could encourage more South Africans to register and plug in their systems and give Eskom breathing room.



But it will likely do little to overcome the main obstacle for most potential rooftop solar customers: cost.



While banks are beginning to help, with ABSA&nbsp;ABSPp.J&nbsp;and Nedbank&nbsp;NEDJ.J&nbsp;offering dedicated small-scale solar financing products, rooftop systems remain out of reach for most poor South Africans such as Prince Mkhize.



He works at a car wash in Alexandra, the low-income, high-crime township located just across a busy motorway from Sandton &#8211; the Johannesburg financial district dubbed &#8220;Africa&#8217;s richest square mile&#8221;.



When blackouts strike, Mkhize can&#8217;t run his jet wash or vacuum cleaner and watches disappointed would-be customers come and go.



&#8220;We&#8217;re standing here eight hours with no cars,&#8221; he said. &#8220;When there&#8217;s loadshedding, there&#8217;s no work.&#8221;



($1 = 16.2430 rand)



Nigerian businesses turn to solar as diesel costs bite<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2YJ076&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



(Reporting by Joe Bavier and Promit Mukherjee; editing by Barbara Lewis)

AMLMI7NKBBJEFAMDO6MDRRVYME

South Africa’s ‘silent revolution’ as those with cash go solar

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242464271-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419191" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242464271-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242464271-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242464271-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242464271-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242464271-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GettyImages-1242464271-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>NAIROBI, ELDORET- AUGUST 12: A poster of Kenya&#8217;s Deputy President and presidential candidate William Ruto of Kenya Kwanza (Kenya first) political party coalition party is seen behind a man as Kenyans wait for election results on August 12, 2022 in Eldoret, Kenya. Kenyans headed to the polls on August 9 to vote for a new president during a time of drought and soaring food prices in a post-pandemic stricken economy. With four candidates running for presidency, the main rivals are 77-year-old former prime minister and four-time presidential candidate Raila Odinga, and 55-year-old deputy president William Ruto. (Photo by Ed Ram/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Aug 15 (Reuters) &#8211; Deputy President William Ruto led a tight presidential race against opposition leader Raila Odinga, official results reported by media showed on Monday, with an announcement from electoral authorities due at 1200 GMT.



Slow progress by the electoral commission in tallying Tuesday&#8217;s vote have fed anxiety in East Africa&#8217;s&nbsp;most economically advanced&nbsp;country, which has a recent history of violence following disputed elections.



In its latest announcement on Saturday of officially verified results with a little more than a quarter of votes counted, the commission put Odinga in the lead with 54% and Ruto on 45%.&nbsp;Subsequent tallies by Kenyan media groups and Reuters, however, put Ruto at 51-52% and Odinga at 48%.



The tallying centre where the announcement will be made was packed with party officials who were entertained by musicians calling for calm.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-ruto-pulls-ahead-in-kenya-s-presidential-vote-count-as-tempers-fray">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/ruto-pulls-ahead-in-kenyas-presidential-vote-count-as-tempers-fray/">Ruto pulls ahead in Kenya’s presidential vote count as tempers fray</a></h3>



Purity Njeru, the electoral commission&#8217;s head of communications, said the declaration of the presidential winner would be made at 1200 GMT.



The winning candidate must get 50% of votes plus one.



President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has served his two-term limit, fell out with Ruto after the last election and this time endorsed Odinga for president.



Ruto heads the Kenya Kwanza (Kenya First) Alliance and served as a lawmaker and minister for agriculture before becoming deputy president.



Odinga is running for president under the Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) Alliance, which includes Kenyatta&#8217;s Jubilee party. He is a former cabinet minister and prime minister.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CHECKS AND BALANCES</h2>



Media reported more than three quarters of votes counted.



In official verified results reported by the independent and privately owned Nation Media Group, with 253 constituencies counted out of a total of 291, Ruto had 51% of the vote and Odinga 48%.



The Standard Group &#8211; likewise independent and privately owned &#8211; reported Ruto ahead, again with 51% of the vote against Odinga&#8217;s 48% and also with 253 constituencies tallied.



A Reuters tally of 268 preliminary constituency-level results at&nbsp;1100&nbsp;GMT on Monday showed Ruto on 52% and Odinga at 48%. Two minor candidates shared less than a percent between them.



Reuters did not include 20 forms in the count because they lacked signatures&nbsp;and&nbsp;totals, were illegible or had other problems.



The preliminary tally was based on forms that were subject to revision if any discrepancies were discovered during the official verification process.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/rigging-allegations-begin-as-kenyan-media-slow-tally-of-votes-in-tight-presidential-race/">Rigging allegations begin as Kenyan media slow tally of votes in tight presidential race</a></h3>



The many checks and balances&nbsp;were&nbsp;designed to try to prevent the kind of allegations of rigging that provoked violence after the 2007 vote, when more than 1,200 people were killed.



In 2017, after the Supreme Court&nbsp;quashed&nbsp;the result over irregularities in the electoral process, more than 100 were killed.



Crispinus Kokonya in Eldoret, a region where Ruto has&nbsp;his largest&nbsp;support base, said the outcome was still unclear.



&#8220;So we are now waiting upon Chebukati&#8230; what he says we will follow,&#8221; he said referring to the electoral commission Chairman Wafula Chebukati.



Others said the wait was&nbsp;damaging&nbsp;business.



&#8220;We are losing money &#8211; it&#8217;s causing a lot of anxiety and anger,&#8221; said Alphonce Otieno Odhiambo a farmer and a motor bike taxi driver in Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold.



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri and George Obulutsa in Nairobi, Ayenat Mersie in Kisumu and Nelson Ali in Eldoret;writing by James Macharia Chege; editing by John Stonestreet and Mark Heinrich)

Kenyan’s Anticipate Presidential Election Results In Tight  Race Amid Low Turnout

Kenya election outcome set to be announced with media giving Ruto narrow lead

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="429" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3NHUCRX4X5OXNGYX2MA4VP42AQ-820x429.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419176" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3NHUCRX4X5OXNGYX2MA4VP42AQ-820x429.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3NHUCRX4X5OXNGYX2MA4VP42AQ-300x157.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3NHUCRX4X5OXNGYX2MA4VP42AQ-160x84.jpg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3NHUCRX4X5OXNGYX2MA4VP42AQ-768x402.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3NHUCRX4X5OXNGYX2MA4VP42AQ-1536x804.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3NHUCRX4X5OXNGYX2MA4VP42AQ.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>A views shows posters of Kenya&#8217;s Deputy President William Ruto and presidential candidate for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Kenya Kwanza political coalition on top of the Silverline Butchery restaurant in Eldoret, Kenya August 11, 2022. REUTERS/Baz Ratner</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Aug 14 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Kenya&#8217;s Deputy President William Ruto has edged ahead in a tight presidential race, according to official results reported by Kenyan media on Sunday, as more riot police were deployed inside the national election tallying centre after scuffles and accusations by party agents.



The fracas underscored fraying tempers and high tensions within the national counting hall as the country waits for official results from last Tuesday&#8217;s election. There were wry digs online over the melee from citizens pointing out that the rest of the nation is waiting patiently.



In the presidential race, official verified results reported by the Nation media group showed Ruto taking 51% of the vote, ahead of left-leaning opposition leader Raila Odinga who had 48%.



Confusion over vote tallying in the media and the slow pace of progress by the electoral commission have fed anxiety in Kenya, which is East Africa&#8217;s richest and most stable nation but which has a history of violence following disputed elections.



Reuters was unable to get access to the official running vote tally for the presidential race on Sunday. A live feed displaying the results at the national tallying center had disappeared hours earlier.



When asked about the tally, a spokeswoman for the commission referred Reuters to the live feed. Other electoral officials said they were unable to provide the information.



Officially verified results on Saturday, with a little more than a quarter of votes counted, put Odinga in the lead with 54% of the vote while Ruto had 45%.



The winner must get 50% of votes plus one. The commission has seven days from the vote to declare the winners.



A Reuters tally of 263 out of 291 preliminary constituency-level results at 1800 GMT on Sunday showed Ruto in the lead with just under 52% and Odinga at 47.5%. Two minor candidates shared less than a percent between them.



Reuters did not include 19 forms in the count because they lacked signatures, totals, were illegible or had other problems.



The preliminary tally is based on forms that are subject to revision if any discrepancies are discovered during the official verification process.



The many checks and balances are designed to try to prevent the kind of allegations of rigging that provoked violence in 2007, when more than 1,200 people were killed, and in 2017, when more than 100 people were killed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chaos-at-the-counting-hall">CHAOS AT THE COUNTING HALL</h2>



Odinga and Ruto are vying to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has served his two-term limit. Kenyatta fell out with Ruto after the last election and has endorsed Odinga for president.



Kenyatta leaves power having laden Kenya with debt for expensive infrastructure projects and without having tackled the endemic corruption that has hollowed out all levels of government. The next president will also take on rapidly rising food and fuel costs.



Ruto&#8217;s strong showing reflects widespread discontent with Kenyatta&#8217;s legacy &#8211; even in parts of the country where the president has previously swept the vote.



Large numbers of Kenyans also did not vote, saying neither candidate inspired them.



On Sunday, Ruto&#8217;s party member Johnson Sakaja won the governorship of the capital Nairobi, the wealthiest and most populous of the 47 counties.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TENSIONS AT TALLYING CENTRE</h2>



As the tight race continued, party agents have grown increasingly agitated at the tallying centre, known as Bomas. Late on Saturday, Raila Odinga&#8217;s chief agent Saitabao ole Kanchory grabbed a microphone and announced &#8220;Bomas of Kenya is a scene of crime,&#8221; before officials switched off his microphone.



Party agents scuffled with each other, with police and with election officials, at one point trying to drag one official outside.



The scenes, broadcast on national news, were met with bemusement by Kenyans, who urged their leaders to grow up.



&#8220;The reckless behavior at Bomas by so-called leaders, which can fast ignite the country, must be called out,&#8221; tweeted Alamin Kimathi, a human rights activist. &#8220;Let the drama end. Let the process continue.&#8221;



(Additional reporting by Humphrey Malalo; Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Frances Kerry and Hugh Lawson)

3NHUCRX4X5OXNGYX2MA4VP42AQ

Ruto pulls ahead in Kenya’s presidential vote count as tempers fray

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="550" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/SUPTTYXUWBKKXP3TTKUYBNYD6I-820x550.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419153" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/SUPTTYXUWBKKXP3TTKUYBNYD6I-820x550.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/SUPTTYXUWBKKXP3TTKUYBNYD6I-300x201.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/SUPTTYXUWBKKXP3TTKUYBNYD6I-134x90.jpg 134w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/SUPTTYXUWBKKXP3TTKUYBNYD6I-768x515.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/SUPTTYXUWBKKXP3TTKUYBNYD6I.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Various political parties delegates and officials from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) meet at the IEBC National Tallying centre at the Bomas of Kenya, in Nairobi, Kenya August 11, 2022. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Aug 12 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Without providing any proof, the secretary-general of Kenya&#8217;s governing party has said the country&#8217;s elections were rigged, fuelling public anxiety on Friday as media houses significantly slowed down their unofficial tallies of the presidential vote.



Only the electoral commission is authorised to declare a winner, but the tallies were seen as a bulwark against the kind of rigging allegations that have previously sparked violence.



Kenya, East Africa&#8217;s richest and most stable nation, has a history of violent election disputes. More than 1,200 people were killed after the 2007 elections and more than 100 after the 2017 elections.



So far the polls were generally praised by international observers, but problems usually emerge after results are announced.



Outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta must step down after serving the constitutional maximum of two five-year terms. His would-be successors are former political prisoner and veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto. Kenyatta has fallen out with Ruto and endorsed Odinga.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">RIGGING CLAIM</h2>



Late on Thursday, the chairman of Kenyatta&#8217;s Jubilee party issued a statement alleging &#8220;massive subtle rigging&#8221; and claiming the &#8220;electoral process was highly compromised&#8221; after Ruto&#8217;s party made a strong showing in an area where the dominant ethnicity is the same as Kenyatta.



The statement alleged voter intimidation, bribery, illegal displaying of campaign materials in polling station, mishandling of party agents and incorrect use of election materials. It provided no evidence and did not explain why the allegations had been made so late. Party officials were unreachable for comment.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/kenyans-anxious-for-news-on-next-president-two-days-after-tight-vote/">Kenyans anxious for news on next president, two days after tight vote</a></h3>



Previous elections have largely been determined by ethnic voting blocs. But Ruto has sought to make this election about economics, portraying himself as a self-made &#8220;hustler&#8221; in contrast to political &#8220;dynasties&#8221;. Odinga and Kenyatta are the sons of Kenya&#8217;s first vice president and president, respectively.



Ian Dan, a parcel service attendant the main bus park in Odinga&#8217;s stronghold of Kisumu, said business was very slow.



&#8220;We are in darkness and this is not good for us. People are anxious and need to have a clear picture,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There are allegations of rigging flying in social media, but many people are waiting to hear from Raila Odinga or William Ruto. Their word will influence people&#8217;s reaction.&#8221;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-media-slowdown">MEDIA SLOWDOWN</h2>



Media tallies, which had nearly stopped by Friday morning, showed both leading candidates neck and neck, just under the 50% mark they needed to win. Less than a percent was divided between two other marginal candidates.



If no candidate wins more than 50% plus one vote, the two frontrunners will have a run-off.



The electoral commission is the only body legally authorised to declare a winner. It initially uploaded images of results forms from more than 46,000 polling stations, but had not tallied them. Instead, media houses employed teams to download forms and enter them into a database.



More than 99.7% of polling station results are in but thousands have not been counted by the media. The abrupt slowdown started when around 80% of the vote had been counted.



Prominent Kenyan columnist and cartoonist Patrick Gathara criticised the slowdown, tweeting: &#8220;So once again KE media have chickened out and have stopped updating their counts? It was too good to last.&#8221;



But executives from Citizen and Nation media groups said exhausted staff needed a rest.



&#8220;Now we have about a third of people working that we started with and we intend to pick up pace in the next few hours when the rest of the team come back,&#8221; said Linus Kaikai, Director of Strategy at Citizen.



Stephen Gitagama, the CEO of Nation Media group, said his staff also needed a rest and that they focused on quality control. He referred Reuters to the election commission, known as the IEBC.



&#8220;IEBC bears the responsibility of providing the results, not the media,&#8221; he said.



On Friday morning, the election commission had finally begun displaying an official count of presidential results on a board at the main tallying center. It had counted 1.5% of the vote.



At 0730 GMT, a Reuters tally of 180 out of 291 constituency-level results had Ruto leading by 51.66% and Odinga at 47.69%. Eleven constituency-level results images were unreadable or lacked totals.



(Additional reporting by Ayenat Mersie in Eldoret; Editing by Toby Chopra)

SUPTTYXUWBKKXP3TTKUYBNYD6I

Rigging allegations begin as Kenyan media slow tally of votes in tight presidential race

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PZR3Z6K4CJLSVMXFXVQLCBZREA-1-820x526.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419146" width="818" height="525" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PZR3Z6K4CJLSVMXFXVQLCBZREA-1-820x526.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PZR3Z6K4CJLSVMXFXVQLCBZREA-1-300x193.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PZR3Z6K4CJLSVMXFXVQLCBZREA-1-140x90.jpg 140w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PZR3Z6K4CJLSVMXFXVQLCBZREA-1-768x493.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PZR3Z6K4CJLSVMXFXVQLCBZREA-1.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px" /><figcaption>Police officers secure the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials from rowdy agents after the general election, at the St. Teresa Girls Secondary School tallying centre near Mathare in Nairobi, Kenya August 11, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI/ELDORET, Kenya, Aug 11 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Kenyans crowded round radios and televisions on Thursday, increasingly anxious for news of who their next president might be, two days after voting in an election ended.



The East African country&#8217;s election commission (IEBC) has neither released a running tally of results nor said when it plans to announce the winner, but unofficial and sometimes conflicting media counts show a nail-bitingly close race.



Veteran opposition leader and former political prisoner Raila Odinga, 77, is making his fifth stab at the presidency. He stands neck and neck with outgoing Deputy President William Ruto, 55.



Kenyan media are compiling results from images of forms that the commission uploaded on to its website from more than 46,000 polling stations, a mammoth task that means their tallies differ, and lag far behind the amount of raw data available.



Amid concerns that those discrepancies&nbsp;could&nbsp;trigger&nbsp;claims of rigging, which have sparked&nbsp;deadly&nbsp;violence&nbsp;after recent ballot, many are urging their fellow&nbsp;citizens&nbsp;&#8211; after a largely peaceful election &#8211;&nbsp;to wait&nbsp;patiently&nbsp;for the official results.



Outside a butcher&#8217;s shop in the western town of Eldoret, dozens of men backslapped each other as they crowded round to read the latest headlines and argued over the relative merits of Ruto and Odinga.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/dead-heat-for-kenya-presidency-as-election-results-trickle-in/">Dead heat for Kenya presidency as election results trickle in</a></h3>



But they all expressed faith in the commission&#8217;s ability to deliver a true result.



&#8220;This (radio) station is saying this; this station is saying that &#8211; we don’t engage with those figures,&#8221; said 22-year old driver Ian Kipchirchir.



&#8220;Only the IEBC (The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission) has the truth.. We trust the IEBC.&#8221;



Scrutinising newspaper headlines two streets away, Ongao Okello added:&nbsp;&#8220;There is so much impatience&#8230;&nbsp;Given the experience that we have in Kenya, we have to be patient and just wait.&#8221;



More than 1,200 people were killed in widespread violence that followed the 2007 election, and more than 100 died after the 2017 polls.



That history adds to scrutiny on an electoral commission wary of repeating mistakes in tallying that caused the Supreme Court to nullify the 2017 result and order a re-run.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lower-turnout">LOWER TURNOUT</h2>



The 2022 outcome is&nbsp;being watched carefully&nbsp;overseas too.



Kenya is the region&#8217;s richest economy, a stable nation in a volatile region and a close Western ally that hosts regional headquarters for Alphabet&nbsp;GOOGL.O, Visa&nbsp;V.N&nbsp;and other international groups.



International observers were generally positive about the election, despite some last-minute printing problems, changes to procedures and inconsistencies in posting results.



Amnesty International however said political parties were intentionally spreading confusion by sharing false reports.



&#8220;Several posts by both KENYA KWANZA and AZIMIO candidates and their supporters have intentionally sought to misinform the electorate &#8230;on the electoral process and the election results,&#8221; a statement by the rights group said, referring to Ruto and Odinga&#8217;s political alliances.



Former U.S. ambassador Johnnie Carson &#8211; a board member of the National Democratic Institute, an election monitor &#8211; said the process needed to be trustworthy more than it needed to be fast.



&#8220;The technology should not outpace the trust and integrity the citizens have in the process,&#8221; he said.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/early-signs-show-tight-kenyan-presidential-election/">Early signs show tight Kenyan presidential election</a></h3>



Meanwhile,&nbsp;media&nbsp;outlets are filling the information gap.



By 1500 GMT on Thursday, the privately-owned Nation group had tallied results from 89% of polling stations and put Ruto ahead with 50.20% of the vote and Odinga at 49.12%.



At the same time, privately-owned Citizen gave Ruto 49.09% of the vote and Odinga 49.51%.



According to a Reuters tally of 98 out of 291 constituency-level results forms at 1500 GMT, Odinga had 51.5% votes and Ruto had 47.86%.



Outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta has reached his two-term limit. He has endorsed Odinga after falling out with Ruto after the last election.



The winning candidate must get 50% of the vote plus one to win, and at least a quarter of votes in 24 out of Kenya&#8217;s 47 counties. If there is no outright winner, there will be a second round of voting without the two presidential candidates currently receiving less thanone percent between them.



Many Kenyans, frustrated by the shifting alliances of the elites and fed up of rising prices and corruption, didn&#8217;t bother to vote&nbsp;in Tuesday&#8217;s round&nbsp;at all.



The commission said&nbsp;turnout for the ballot, which also included legislative and local elections, was&nbsp;about 65%,&nbsp;down from&nbsp;nearly 80%&nbsp;in 2017.



(Additional reporting by Katharine Houreld and Duncan Miriri in Nairobi, Ayenat Mersie in Eldoret, Daud Yussuf in Garissa; Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Toby Chopra, Alexandra Hudson and John Stonestreet)

PZR3Z6K4CJLSVMXFXVQLCBZREA-1

Kenyans anxious for news on next president, two days after tight vote

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ZQXJT2YCLFPHTIL3OETS2H7WIQ-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419132" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ZQXJT2YCLFPHTIL3OETS2H7WIQ-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ZQXJT2YCLFPHTIL3OETS2H7WIQ-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ZQXJT2YCLFPHTIL3OETS2H7WIQ-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ZQXJT2YCLFPHTIL3OETS2H7WIQ-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ZQXJT2YCLFPHTIL3OETS2H7WIQ.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the President’s Office in Urugwiro Village in Kigali, Rwanda August 11, 2022. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS</figcaption></figure>



KIGALI, Aug 11 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday he had raised with Rwanda&#8217;s president U.S. concerns over the jailing of Paul Rusesabagina, portrayed in the film &#8220;Hotel Rwanda&#8221; sheltering hundreds of people during the 1994 genocide.



Rusesabagina, 67, a U.S. permanent resident, was sentenced last September to 25 years in prison over eight terrorism charges tied to an organization opposed to President Paul Kagame&#8217;s rule.



Rwanda&#8217;s foreign minister Vincent Biruta said he was convicted lawfully, but Rusesabagina has denied all the charges and refused to take part in a trial that he and his supporters have called a political sham. The United States in May determined he had been wrongfully detained.



Rusesabagina, who was feted around the world after being portrayed by actor Don Cheadle in 2004&#8217;s &#8220;Hotel Rwanda,&#8221; is a vocal critic of Kagame. He is being held in a Rwandan prison.



Speaking at a joint press conference with Biruta in the capital Kigali, Blinken said Washington had been clear about its concerns related to Rusesabagina&#8217;s trial and conviction, particularly what he described as &#8220;the lack of fair trial guarantees.&#8221;



&#8220;We continue to urge the government to address concerns about the legal protections afforded to him and his case and establish safeguards to prevent similar outcomes in the future,&#8221; Blinken said.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-blinken-visits-rwanda-in-testing-moment-for-old-u-s-ally-kagame">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/blinken-visits-rwanda-in-testing-moment-for-old-u-s-ally-kagame/">Blinken visits Rwanda in testing moment for old U.S. ally Kagame</a></h3>



Blinken said he had discussed Rusesabagina&#8217;s case with Kagame in his meeting earlier on Thursday but declined to say how Kagame responded.



Biruta pushed back on Blinken&#8217;s comments.



&#8220;He was arrested. He was tried and convicted along with 20 others, 20 other accomplices for serious crimes &#8230; And this was done lawfully under both the Rwandan and international laws. Therefore, Rwanda will continue to abide by our laws and the decisions made by our judiciary,&#8221; Biruta said.



Rusesabagina has acknowledged having a leadership role in the Rwanda Movement for Democratic Change (MRCD), but denied responsibility for attacks carried out by its armed wing, the National Liberation Front (FLN). The trial judges said the two groups were indistinguishable.



Rusesabagina&#8217;s family, and the families of other Americans and U.S. permanent residents also jailed abroad, have asked U.S. President Joe Biden to intervene to secure the release of their loved ones.



Washington&#8217;s &#8220;wrongfully detained&#8221; designation means the responsibility for Rusesabagina&#8217;s case will be transferred from the State Department&#8217;s Bureau of Consular Affairs to the office of the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, effectively raising the issue&#8217;s political profile.



Biden has also come under growing pressure from families after the detention and conviction of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner in Russia, which has boosted the prominence of the issue. Washington and Moscow have been engaged in talks for a potential prisoner swap for Griner and Paul Whelan, a former U.S. marine also detained in Russia.



(Writing by Humeyra Pamuk; Additional reporting by Njuwa Maina; Editing by David Holmes)

ZQXJT2YCLFPHTIL3OETS2H7WIQ

Blinken says he raised ‘Hotel Rwanda’ hero’s detention with Rwandan leader

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="542" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CXBMKBRDJNK6JAACKHMRBUQ5AE-820x542.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419120" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CXBMKBRDJNK6JAACKHMRBUQ5AE-820x542.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CXBMKBRDJNK6JAACKHMRBUQ5AE-300x198.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CXBMKBRDJNK6JAACKHMRBUQ5AE-136x90.jpg 136w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CXBMKBRDJNK6JAACKHMRBUQ5AE-768x508.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CXBMKBRDJNK6JAACKHMRBUQ5AE-1536x1015.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CXBMKBRDJNK6JAACKHMRBUQ5AE-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>A memeber of polling staff walks among sealed ballot boxes containing electoral materials at an Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) tallying centre after the general election in Nairobi, Kenya August 11, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Aug 11 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Two days after Kenya&#8217;s general election, officials&nbsp;had yet&nbsp;to announce who is leading the presidential race in East Africa&#8217;s regional powerhouse, as confused citizens struggled to make sense of divergent tallies from the media in a nail-bitingly close race.



Media houses are&nbsp;tallying results from&nbsp;images of forms&nbsp;that the election commission uploaded from&nbsp;more than 46,229 polling stations, a mammoth task that means their tallies lag far behind the amount of raw data available.



Some citizens worried the&nbsp;media&#8217;s differing&nbsp;tallies could inflame claims of rigging, which have sparked violence in past elections. Many urged fellow citizens to wait for the official results.



“There is so much impatience due to media reports, because they are varying. Given the experience that we have in Kenya, we have to be patient and just wait,&#8221; said Ongao Okello, as he scrutinized newspapers being sold on a street corner in the western town of Eldoret.



Results are being watched carefully: Kenya is the region&#8217;s richest economy, a stable nation in a volatile region and a close Western ally that hosts regional headquarters for Alphabet&nbsp;GOOGL.O, Visa&nbsp;V.N&nbsp;and other international groups.



Veteran opposition leader and former political prisoner Raila Odinga, 77, is making his fifth stab at the presidency. He is neck and neck with Deputy President William Ruto, 55.



Outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta has reached his two-term limit. He has endorsed Odinga for president after falling out with Ruto after the last election.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-early-signs-show-tight-kenyan-presidential-election">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/early-signs-show-tight-kenyan-presidential-election/">Early signs show tight Kenyan presidential election</a></h3>



Kenyan election authorities have preceded with tallying cautiously, wary of the mistakes that caused the Supreme Court to nullify the results last time and order a re-run.



Media houses have filled the information gap by recruiting hundreds of people to manually input results from the images of results forms into spreadsheets.



Their tallies differ because results from polling stations were uploaded as they came in, and so each media group is counting slightly different portions of the vote.



By&nbsp;1000&nbsp;GMT on Thursday, the privately-owned Nation group had tallied results from&nbsp;three-quarters&nbsp;of polling stations and put Odinga ahead with 50.90% of the vote and Ruto at 48.42%.



At the same time, privately-owned Citizen gave Ruto 49.48% of the vote and Odinga 49.12%.



The winning candidate must get 50% of the vote plus one to win, and at least a quarter of votes in 24 out of Kenya&#8217;s 47 counties. If there is no outright winner, there will be a second round of voting without the two presidential candidates currently receiving fractions of a point.



Many Kenyans, frustrated by the shifting alliances of the elites and fed up of rising prices and corruption, didn&#8217;t bother to vote at all.



The commission said about 65% of registered voters turned out for the legislative, local and presidential elections &#8211; a big drop from 2017 when voter participation was nearly 80%.



The elections have largely been peaceful so far; major protests and clashes usually only follow result announcements. More than 1,200 people were killed after the 2007 elections, and more than 100 after the 2017 polls.



Author and political commentator Nanjala Nyabola said the lack of violence should not be the standard for a success.



&#8220;People are just looking for the absence or presence of violence and as a Kenyan it&#8217;s a really demoralising standard to be told we should only aspire to the bare minimum,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We are trying to hold ourselves to a higher standard.&#8221;



(Additional reporting by Duncan Miriri in Nairobi, Ayenat Mersie in Eldoret, Daud Yussuf in Garissa; Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Toby Chopra)

Kenya’s electoral commission relays election results in Nairobi

Dead heat for Kenya presidency as election results trickle in

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/G7DUP3LMAVNTZBUNLWT7A3JDI4-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419113" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/G7DUP3LMAVNTZBUNLWT7A3JDI4-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/G7DUP3LMAVNTZBUNLWT7A3JDI4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/G7DUP3LMAVNTZBUNLWT7A3JDI4-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/G7DUP3LMAVNTZBUNLWT7A3JDI4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/G7DUP3LMAVNTZBUNLWT7A3JDI4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/G7DUP3LMAVNTZBUNLWT7A3JDI4-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the President’s Office in Urugwiro Village in Kigali, Rwanda August 11, 2022. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS</figcaption></figure>



KIGALI, Aug 11 (Reuters) &#8211; U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on a visit to Kigali less than a week after it emerged United Nations experts had found &#8220;solid evidence&#8221; Rwanda has been interfering militarily in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.



Regional analysts expect Blinken, who arrived on Wednesday evening, to privately exert pressure to stop Rwanda&#8217;s alleged support for the M23 rebel group without immediately implementing sanctions or blocking military aid, as the United States did in similar circumstances in 2013.



A confidential report sent to the United Nations Security Council last week said Rwandan troops have been fighting alongside the M23 rebels in Congo, and that Kigali has been providing the group with weapons and support since November.



Rwanda&#8217;s government has said the U.N. findings, based on evidence including witness testimony and drone images, were false, and that the M23 was Congo&#8217;s responsibility.



The United States is a longstanding ally of Rwanda&#8217;s President Paul Kagame, but Blinken told reporters on Tuesday in Kinshasa he was very concerned about &#8220;credible reports&#8221; Rwanda has provided support to M23.



Last year the U.S. administration gave Rwanda $147 million in bilateral assistance, and $500,000 for peace and security. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-u-s-africa-strategy-stresses-china-russia-threats">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/u-s-africa-strategy-stresses-china-russia-threats/">U.S. Africa strategy stresses China, Russia threats</a></h3>



&#8220;Rwanda&#8217;s most important export is its reputation; that&#8217;s what attracts Starbucks, that&#8217;s what attracts Bill Gates and that reputation is being battered at the moment,&#8221; said Jason Stearns, director of New York University&#8217;s Congo Research Group.



Blinken&#8217;s visit &#8220;will lead to a re-evaluation of what&#8217;s happening on the ground,&#8221; Stearns told Reuters by telephone.



A statement from Rwanda&#8217;s foreign affairs ministry on Blinken&#8217;s visit said the country was committed to addressing security challenges in the Great Lakes Region.



Rwanda has earned recognition for its stability, ease of doing business and developmental gains since the 1994 genocide, but Kagame has also drawn criticism for cracking down on opponents at home and abroad.



The U.S. top diplomat has said he would raise the fate of Paul Rusesabagina, a U.S. resident who was sentenced by Kigali court to 25 years in prison on terrorism charges.



Rusesabagina refused to take part in what he called a &#8220;sham&#8221; trial, saying he had been kidnapped and brought to Kigali against his will.



Rwanda&#8217;s foreign affairs ministry said Rusesabagina&#8217;s arrest and conviction were lawful under Rwandan and international law. 



(Writing by Hereward Holland; Editing by James Macharia Chege and Deepa Babington)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Rwanda

Blinken visits Rwanda in testing moment for old U.S. ally Kagame

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2856173673_405c882710_k-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419094" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2856173673_405c882710_k-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2856173673_405c882710_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2856173673_405c882710_k-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2856173673_405c882710_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2856173673_405c882710_k-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2856173673_405c882710_k.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Photo: via Flickr</figcaption></figure>



KAMPALA, August 10 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Ugandan IT student Andrew Njuki spent years hunched over English-language textbooks, often grappling with material that would have been easier to grasp in his mother tongue Luganda.



As of May, the 27-year-old has been able to copy-paste his online teaching materials into Alphabet Inc&#8217;s&nbsp;GOOGL.O&nbsp;Google translation service and read them directly in Uganda&#8217;s official language Luganda, spoken by millions across the east African country but not taught in schools.



&#8220;To understand something better you need to first understand it in your mother tongue,&#8221; said Njuki, who also finds the service handy for surfing the internet and social media.



It is not perfect, he said, he rates it around 60% for quality and 65% for accuracy. But it is a start.



Translation and language-learning giants like Google and DuoLingo&nbsp;DUOL.O&nbsp;are expanding language databases available online, in a push to widen representation and reduce bias in artificial intelligence systems.



Isaac Caswell, a research scientist at Google Translate, said for speakers of minority languages &#8220;it can feel like the world of tech is ignoring you.&#8221; Online translation &#8220;is a very important signal to show that we do care about you,&#8221; he added.



Luganda is among 24 languages added to Google Translate in May, with others from sub-Saharan Africa, India and South America. There are now 23 African languages on the platform, accounting for 17% percent of the total.



DuoLingo, which&nbsp;includes&nbsp;eight under-represented languages out of 40&nbsp;on offer, is working to add Zulu and Xhosa &#8211; spoken by 20 million people mainly in South Africa &#8211; later this year.



Kampala resident Hussain Bharmal, originally from India, struggled to find resources to study Luganda, and believes the instant translations on his phone will help to bridge that gap.



&#8220;When you speak someone&#8217;s language you get the keys to their heart,&#8221; said the web developer.



(Reporting by Francis Mukasa and Sofia Christensen; Editing by Bhargav Acharya and Alexandra Hudson)

2856173673_405c882710_k

Students cheer as online translation tools add more African languages

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="429" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/5GAQQQRBNNJAXCQTT2VMGKLBAQ-820x429.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419066" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/5GAQQQRBNNJAXCQTT2VMGKLBAQ-820x429.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/5GAQQQRBNNJAXCQTT2VMGKLBAQ-300x157.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/5GAQQQRBNNJAXCQTT2VMGKLBAQ-160x84.jpg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/5GAQQQRBNNJAXCQTT2VMGKLBAQ-768x402.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/5GAQQQRBNNJAXCQTT2VMGKLBAQ-1536x804.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/5GAQQQRBNNJAXCQTT2VMGKLBAQ.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Martha Karua, the running mate to Kenya&#8217;s opposition leader and presidential candidate Raila Odinga of the Azimio la Umoja (Declaration of Unity) party addresses a campaign rally ahead of the forthcoming general election in the Rift Valley town of Suswa, Narok county, Kenya July 30, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya</figcaption></figure>



MOMBASA, Kenya Aug 9 (Reuters) &#8211; As Kenyans await the outcome of Tuesday&#8217;s election, they are wondering if Martha Karua might be their first female vice president, becoming the highest ranking woman in the history of a country where female candidates are often physically attacked.



Giant billboards adorn the capital Nairobi showing the 64-year-old former justice minister accompanied by presidential candidate and veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, a former political prisoner.



The two head the Azimio La Umoja (One Kenya Alliance) coalition and faced off against Deputy President William Ruto and lawmaker Rigathi Gachagua, both men, in the Aug. 9 presidential, legislative and local elections.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2ZL044&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Provisional results start trickling in on Tuesday night but an official outcome will take days.



The elections are seen as a key test for stability in East Africa&#8217;s biggest economy, after two of its three last polls were marred by violence following disputes over alleged rigging.



Karua has said Azimio&#8217;s priority would be to stamp out corruption, estimated to cost the government a third of its budget every year, about 800 billion shillings ($6.8 billion). She said Azimio also wants closer scrutiny of private wealth of public sector workers and political leaders.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/what-is-at-stake-for-investors-in-kenyas-elections/">What is at stake for investors in Kenya’s elections?</a></h2>



The recovered money would fund her coalition&#8217;s plan to offer direct monthly support to 2 million of Kenya&#8217;s poorest people.



&#8220;Corruption is strangling or choking the nation,&#8221; she said.



Angeline Koome, a primary school teacher in the southeastern port city of Mombasa, said she had decided not to vote but changed her mind when Odinga made Karua his running mate.



&#8220;It was a breath of fresh air to have such a woman who is not only smart and forward thinking but also very dedicated to good leadership. Kenya is safe with her as deputy president,&#8221; Koome told Reuters.



&#8220;She is very tough and for the first time in a long time, I believe we as a country are winning the war on corruption which has been our biggest disaster.&#8221;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-attacks-on-women">ATTACKS ON WOMEN</h2>



Odinga has also designated Karua as his justice minister if they win, capitalising on her reputation for standing up to power. As a lawyer in the early 1990s, Karua said she helped lay the ground for Kenya&#8217;s constitutional charter and fought for multi-party democracy.



In 2001, she defiantly walked out of a rally by former authoritarian president Daniel arap Moi after she was denied a chance to speak.



She also resigned from the government in 2009, citing differences with then president Mwai Kibaki on human rights, tackling corruption and judicial appointments.



But Karua has dismissed her nickname &#8220;Iron Lady&#8221; as a sexist trope, telling Reuters in a June interview that &#8220;strong leadership in women is seen as an exception&#8221;.



Women are under-represented in Kenyan politics and frequently face violence: a parliamentary group said there had been dozens of attacks on women candidates this election cycle. <a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2ZA39A&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/early-signs-show-tight-kenyan-presidential-election/">Early signs show tight Kenyan presidential election</a></h3>



&#8220;She will turn tables. The next generation will be lucky to have her at the helm, and yet I am a man, so imagine what other women are feeling,&#8221; Martin Anyanga, a businessman in Mombasa, said of Karua.



Karua has also promised to rein in public debt, which has more than tripled by 7 trillion shillings ($61.3 billion) since Kenyatta assumed office in 2013, pushing against the nation&#8217;s debt ceiling.



FACTBOX-Kenya&#8217;s 2022 presidential election contenders<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2Z02XF&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Old scars and new hopes as Kenya votes and holds its breath<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL4N2ZL2Z0&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



(Additional reporting by Katharine Houreld in Nairobi; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

5GAQQQRBNNJAXCQTT2VMGKLBAQ

Kenyans ponder a first female vice president as results awaited

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="550" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/NS4CWVIJNVPVFLWRG2XTDBSFQE-820x550.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419062" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/NS4CWVIJNVPVFLWRG2XTDBSFQE-820x550.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/NS4CWVIJNVPVFLWRG2XTDBSFQE-300x201.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/NS4CWVIJNVPVFLWRG2XTDBSFQE-134x90.jpg 134w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/NS4CWVIJNVPVFLWRG2XTDBSFQE-768x515.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/NS4CWVIJNVPVFLWRG2XTDBSFQE.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>An electoral official empties cast ballot papers from a Presidential ballot box during the general election conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) at the close of the voting process at the Kilimani Primary School in Nairobi, Kenya August 9, 2022. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Aug 10 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Preliminary results from Kenya&#8217;s presidential election showed a tight race between the two main candidates vying to replace outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta.



The Tuesday election is an important test for stability in East Africa&#8217;s biggest economy after two of its three last elections were marred by violence following disputes over accusations of rigging.



The frontrunners, Deputy President William Ruto and veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, were neck and neck with 1.2 million votes each, results tabulated by the private Citizen Television early on Wednesday showed, putting them at just over 49% each.



The winning candidate must get 50% plus one vote.



The election commission, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), posted images of more than 90% of election result forms, from a total of 46,663 polling stations.



But for now, the commission is only posting pictures, not numbers. Only two constituency-level results are available on the commission&#8217;s website.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-kenya-s-2022-presidential-election-contenders">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/kenyas-2022-presidential-election-contenders/">Kenya’s 2022 presidential election contenders</a></h3>



The constituency result forms have to be physically taken to the national tallying centre in the capital, Nairobi, and verified before the commission issues them as official results.



The process is partly the result of a Supreme Court ruling in 2017 that overturned the initial re-election of Kenyatta in August that year, citing the commission&#8217;s failure to follow the process to the letter.



The final result from the IEBC is expected in days, although legally, it has up to a week.



Turnout was low on Tuesday, when voters also chose legislative and local authority representatives.



The commission said it believed that about 60% of the 22.1 million registered voters cast ballots. Turnout was nearly 80% in the last election in 2017.



Several factors were blamed for the disappointing turnout including drought in the north and voter frustration with the government&#8217;s failure to tackle economic problems such as rising food and fuel prices.



Kenyatta fell out with his deputy Ruto after their re-election in 2017. He has endorsed Odinga.



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Katharine Houreld, Robert Birsel)

NS4CWVIJNVPVFLWRG2XTDBSFQE

Early signs show tight Kenyan presidential election

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/G4AKS6XEQZORXNJS3EFMU3X5LI-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419057" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/G4AKS6XEQZORXNJS3EFMU3X5LI-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/G4AKS6XEQZORXNJS3EFMU3X5LI-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/G4AKS6XEQZORXNJS3EFMU3X5LI-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/G4AKS6XEQZORXNJS3EFMU3X5LI-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/G4AKS6XEQZORXNJS3EFMU3X5LI.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with South Africa&#8217;s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor at the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation in Pretoria, South Africa, August 8, 2022. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Aug 8 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The United States released a new strategy document for sub-Saharan Africa on Monday, stressing the region&#8217;s importance, the threats posed by China and Russia, and vowing to extend defense cooperation with like-minded African countries.



&#8220;The United States has an abiding interest in ensuring the region remains open and accessible to all, and that governments and publics are able to make their own political choices, consistent with international obligations,&#8221; the White House document said.



It expands on a November speech by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken first laying out the Biden administration&#8217;s approach to Africa. Its release comes as Blinken is in South Africa and visiting two more African countries this week.



In November, Blinken said Washington would have to do things differently to help Africa with its infrastructure needs and it was time to stop treating the continent as a subject of geopolitics and rather as a major player on its own.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2SA0RV&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Blinken also appealed to African leaders to guard against rising extremism, authoritarianism and corruption.



The new paper said that in line with the 2022 U.S. National Defense Strategy, the Pentagon would engage with African partners &#8220;to expose and highlight the risks of negative PRC and Russian activities in Africa,&#8221; referring to China by the initials of its official name.



&#8220;We will leverage civil defense institutions and expand defense cooperation with strategic partners that share our values and our will to foster global peace and stability,&#8221; it said.



Washington would also &#8220;review and reinvest&#8221; in ways to engage with African militaries, especially in programs that help build institutional capacity, combat corruption, and advance reforms.



&#8220;Effective, legitimate, and accountable militaries and other security forces are essential to support open, democratic, and resilient societies and to counter destabilizing threats, including in Africa,&#8221; the paper said.



Washington would work to build African capabilities in combating climate change and with governments and regional bodies, including the African Union, to support sustainable development &#8220;accelerators,&#8221; it said.



These included digitalization of financial services and records, investments in health systems and improvements in supply chains for critical commodities.



On the tech front, the paper said Washington would work to ensure affordable access to the Internet, while the U.S. Agency for International Development would seek to facilitate access to online courses.



The document said U.S. allies and partners in Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific considered Africa integral to their national security, and were committed to working with Washington.



China, by contrast, saw the region &#8220;as an important arena to challenge the rules-based international order, advance its own narrow commercial and geopolitical interests, undermine transparency and openness, and weaken U.S. relations with African peoples and governments,&#8221; the paper said.



Russia saw Africa as &#8220;a permissive environment for parastatals and private military companies, often fomenting instability for strategic and financial benefit,&#8221; it said.



Africa needs billions of dollars a year for roads, railways, dams and power and in the last decade has received huge sums from China, which generally does not tie money to political or rights-related conditions.



Washington has characterized Chinese lending as predatory and leading to potential debt traps, and has focused on facilitating private investment, but officials acknowledge it needs to do more speed up assistance.



The Biden administration has been criticized by some as inattentive to Africa: a common complaint about U.S. foreign policy but one that has rung louder since China deepened its political and economic roots on the continent.



Biden has though struck a different tone from former President Donald Trump, who disparaged some African nations and barred travel from six of them.



(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; additional reporting by Doina Chiacu and Jeff Mason; editing by Diane Craft)

G4AKS6XEQZORXNJS3EFMU3X5LI

U.S. Africa strategy stresses China, Russia threats

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="728" height="485" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/HEY23A7EKRIZLMFOGIDF3Z3HUY.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419043" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/HEY23A7EKRIZLMFOGIDF3Z3HUY.jpg 728w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/HEY23A7EKRIZLMFOGIDF3Z3HUY-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/HEY23A7EKRIZLMFOGIDF3Z3HUY-135x90.jpg 135w" sizes="(max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px" /><figcaption>Ivory Coast&#8217;s former president Laurent Gbagbo speaks during the second day of the meeting to launch the formation of a new political party at the Sofitel hotel in Abidjan, Ivory Coast October 17, 2021. Reuters/Luc Gnago</figcaption></figure>



ABIDJAN, Aug 6 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara on Saturday said he had offered a presidential pardon to longtime rival Laurent Gbagbo, as part of a reconciliation drive with his predecessors ahead of elections in 2025.



Gbagbo, president from 2000-2011, returned to Ivory Coast last year after being acquitted in 2019 by the Hague on war crimes charges for his role in a civil war sparked by his refusal to concede defeat after the 2010 election.



Back home, he still faced a 20-year prison sentence for a 2019 conviction linked to the robbery of funds from the Abidjan central bank during the post-election period. He has always denied the charges.



&#8220;In order to further strengthen social cohesion, I have signed a decree granting a presidential pardon to Laurent Gbagbo,&#8221; Ouattara said in a televised speech to the nation ahead of its independence day on Sunday.



He said he had also asked for Gbagbo&#8217;s accounts to be unfrozen and for the payment of the arrears of his presidential lifetime annuity.



The decision follows a rare meeting in July between Ouattara, Gbagbo, and former president Henri Konan Bedie.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2YV0UJ&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The trio have dominated Ivory Coast&#8217;s fractious political scene since the 1990s. Bedie was president from 1993 until his ouster in a 1999 coup. Gbagbo governed from 2000 until his election defeat to Ouattara in 2010.



Tensions came to a head most dramatically after the 2010 election. Gbagbo refused to concede defeat, leading to a brief civil war that killed about 3,000 people before rebel forces aligned with Ouattara swept into the main city Abidjan.



Ouattara has presided over relative stability during his decade in power. But dozens of people were killed in clashes that broke out around the 2020 election, when he stood for a third term that Gbagbo and Bedie said was unconstitutional.



The president has not yet said whether he plans to run for a fourth term in 2025. He has said he would like to step down but also suggested he would need Gbagbo and Bedie to commit to withdrawing from politics in order to do so.



They have not so far indicated what their plans are.



(Editing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by David Gregorio)

HEY23A7EKRIZLMFOGIDF3Z3HUY

Ivory Coast president pardons predecessor Gbagbo to boost “social cohesion”

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/IQISG7TMCJLHZCX2UNITHIHAFM-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419039" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/IQISG7TMCJLHZCX2UNITHIHAFM-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/IQISG7TMCJLHZCX2UNITHIHAFM-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/IQISG7TMCJLHZCX2UNITHIHAFM-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/IQISG7TMCJLHZCX2UNITHIHAFM-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/IQISG7TMCJLHZCX2UNITHIHAFM.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Banners of Kenya&#8217;s opposition leader and presidential candidate Raila Odinga of the Azimio la Umoja (Declaration of Unity) coalition (L), and Kenya&#8217;s Deputy President William Ruto and presidential candidate for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Kenya Kwanza political coalition, are seen in Nairobi, Kenya, August 4, 2022. REUTERS/Baz Ratner</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Aug 8 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Millions of Kenyans will head to the polls on Tuesday to pick a new president in a fiercely contested election that pitches veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga against Deputy President William Ruto.



President Uhuru Kenyatta is not running due to term limits but is backing Odinga. Lawmakers and country officials will also be elected.



The final four opinion polls published last week put Odinga ahead with a margin of 6-8 points but Ruto has dismissed them as fake and designed to sway the electorate.



Following are key topics for investors:



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-at-stake-for-investors">WHAT IS AT STAKE FOR INVESTORS?</h2>



One of the most advanced economies in Africa, Kenya is a commercial hub for East and Central Africa, hosting regional headquarters of global firms like Alphabet&nbsp;GOOGL.O&nbsp;and Visa&nbsp;V.N.



Its stocks, bonds and the shilling currency&nbsp;KES=&nbsp;are some of the most traded by foreign investors on the continent.



A number of flashpoints are on investors&#8217; radar for the election. Deadly violence erupted after recent elections with more than 1,200 people killed after the 2007 ballot.



The global backdrop looks also challenging: Kenya, an energy importer, has felt the pinch from elevated crude oil prices. Like other emerging economies, Kenya faces rising borrowing costs as the U.S. Federal Reserve and other major central banks hike interest rates to tame inflation.



Spreads of Kenya&#8217;s hard-currency debt over safe-haven U.S. Treasuries &#8211; the premium demanded by investors &#8211; have come down from over 1,400 basis points in mid-July, but are still in the danger zone of above 1,000 bps.&nbsp;.JPMEGDKENR



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT ARE MARKETS WATCHING OUT FOR?</h2>



Markets are closely scrutinising fiscal accounts, the balance of payments and central bank reserves. Having a current account deficit as well as a fiscal deficit, Kenya&#8217;s financial position has been a longstanding source of vulnerability.



&#8220;Fiscal consolidation is going to be paramount for the elected president,&#8221; William Blair fund manager Yvette Babb told Reuters.



Gergely Urmossy, emerging market strategist at Societe Generale, said a credible strategy could see Kenya regain full access to international capital markets, while a good relationship with the International Monetary Fund was key.



&#8220;Kenya&#8217;s next president will need to present a credible and responsible macro-financial stabilisation agenda, which addresses the wide twin deficit and promotes debt sustainability,&#8221; said Urmossy.



The IMF agreed a three-year, $2.34 billion extended fund facility and extended credit facility in April 2021. During its latest review the fund said Nairobi was on track to meet most of the program&#8217;s objectives, though urged authorities to stick to the agreed fiscal consolidation path.



Committing to structural reforms was &#8220;essential to meet the IMF&#8217;s requirements in terms of unlocking further tranches and also strengthening the market&#8217;s confidence that the new government is both willing and able to deliver,&#8221; Urmossy added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ODINGA AND RUTO?</h2>



Pledges between the two key candidates differ on key policy priorities such as tackling debt issues, job creation and social spending.



Odinga has pledged to renegotiate debt terms to lengthen maturities and free up cash for social interventions and development.



That aim of rearranging debt to lengthen maturities could be targeted at domestic debt servicing, said Sthembiso E Nkalanga at JPMorgan, which has been higher than servicing of foreign debt.



Ruto pledges to reduce borrowing and stimulate small enterprises to help drive growth and generate revenues.



&#8220;Ruto recognizes the country&#8217;s debt problem, but envisions raising economic growth and broadening the tax base would suffice in restoring creditworthiness and ensuring fiscal prudence,&#8221; Nkalanga said.



Both broadly converge on the Big 4 Agenda &#8211; Kenya&#8217;s 2030 blueprint which divides the country&#8217;s future economic development into four pillars: Food security, affordable housing, manufacturing and affordable healthcare.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT DO LOCAL INVESTORS THINK?</h2>



Odinga and Ruto have offered differing visions for the economy, with Odinga advocating for enhanced social protections, and Ruto promising to empower small enterprises.



Local investors are optimistic: Three quarters of all business executives who took part in the central bank&#8217;s July market perception survey said they were optimistic, compared with just a third in the same survey five years ago.



This is due to outgoing President Kenyatta making peace with arch rival Odinga in March 2018 in the wake of a divisive election contest, which led to political stability.



&#8220;We have never had a more peaceful time, days to the election. The country is calm,&#8221; said Joe Mucheru, the minister for information and communication.



However, a new schism opened between Kenyatta and his estranged deputy Ruto, who Kenyatta says is not fit to be president. Meanwhile, the government has deployed extra police in areas of the Rift Valley, Ruto&#8217;s political power base and police say they are prepared for any opportunistic looting in major cities like Kisumu during and after the election.



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri in Nairobi and Karin Strohecker in London; additional reporting by Jorgelina do Rosario in London, Editing by Ros Russell)

Reuters

Ghana monetary policy committee to hold emergency meeting on Wednesday

Kenya’s Ruto declared president-elect in chaotic scenes

Kenya election officials disown presidential election results

South Africa’s ‘silent revolution’ as those with cash go solar

Kenya election outcome set to be announced with media giving Ruto narrow lead

Ruto pulls ahead in Kenya’s presidential vote count as tempers fray

Rigging allegations begin as Kenyan media slow tally of votes in tight presidential race

Kenyans anxious for news on next president, two days after tight vote

Blinken says he raised ‘Hotel Rwanda’ hero’s detention with Rwandan leader

Dead heat for Kenya presidency as election results trickle in

Blinken visits Rwanda in testing moment for old U.S. ally Kagame

Students cheer as online translation tools add more African languages

Kenyans ponder a first female vice president as results awaited

Early signs show tight Kenyan presidential election

U.S. Africa strategy stresses China, Russia threats

Ivory Coast president pardons predecessor Gbagbo to boost “social cohesion”

What is at stake for investors in Kenya’s elections?

News Tips

Advertise With Us

Reuters

Ghana monetary policy committee to hold emergency meeting on Wednesday

Kenya’s Ruto declared president-elect in chaotic scenes

Kenya election officials disown presidential election results

South Africa’s ‘silent revolution’ as those with cash go solar

Kenya election outcome set to be announced with media giving Ruto narrow lead

Ruto pulls ahead in Kenya’s presidential vote count as tempers fray

Rigging allegations begin as Kenyan media slow tally of votes in tight presidential race

Kenyans anxious for news on next president, two days after tight vote

Blinken says he raised ‘Hotel Rwanda’ hero’s detention with Rwandan leader

Dead heat for Kenya presidency as election results trickle in

Blinken visits Rwanda in testing moment for old U.S. ally Kagame

Students cheer as online translation tools add more African languages

Kenyans ponder a first female vice president as results awaited

Early signs show tight Kenyan presidential election

U.S. Africa strategy stresses China, Russia threats

Ivory Coast president pardons predecessor Gbagbo to boost “social cohesion”

What is at stake for investors in Kenya’s elections?

News Tips

Advertise With Us

Newsletters