The results of Kenya’s much-awaited presidential election will be known shortly, the electoral body has announced.
Preparations for the declaration are underway at the national tallying centre in the country’s capital, Nairobi.
Deputy President William Ruto has a narrow lead over ex-Prime Minister Raila Odinga in the latest count.
The final results are to be announced at 1500 local time (1200 GMT).
Supporters of both Mr Odinga and Mr Ruto, dressed in party colours and in celebratory mood, have gathered at various centres across the country to wait for the announcement.
Both leaders have urged Kenyans to be patient as they wait for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to determine which of them will be the country’s fifth president.
There have also been calls for peace from several leaders and bodies including the Catholic Church, which asked for “patience and civility” and urged the main candidates to show “restraint and statesmanship”.
Mr Ruto leads the official tally at 51% against Mr Odinga’s 48%, according to local media. Verified results from 39 of the 290 constituencies are yet to be declared.
Media organisations have also been releasing provisional tallies using official data from the 46,000 polling stations. They also show a tight race. About 14 million votes were cast – a turnout of 65%. Source: BBC
