#KENYA: Supreme Court Upholds Presidential Election Victory For Ruto

[world politics news]

Deputy President William Ruto's declaration as president-elect after the August 8th election, has been upheld by the Supreme Court of Kenya. Opponents had file petitions with the court alleging massive fraud throughout the country.

Ruto garnered 50.5% of the vote in the closely fought election against 48.8% for Raila Odinga.

The 55-year-old will be sworn in as the country's fifth president on September 13th.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#KENYA: Deputy Pres. Ruto Pulls Ahead In Long Vote Count

[world politics news]

Kenya'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.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#KENYA: Economy, Political Permutations At Center of Kenyan Presidential Election

[world politics news] 

Tired of waiting for her daughter to return from voting, Betty Khamayo picked up her eleven-month-old grandson and got into a matatu, a commercial bus just outside her home in Kwanagware on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

The matatu took her to a primary school in Kibera, 8km (5 miles) away, the same polling unit that frontline presidential candidate Raila Odinga had voted earlier in the day.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#KENYA: Jubilee Party Vows Crackdown On Renegade Members Of Parliament

[world politics news]

Kenya's Jubilee Party has warned that it will not tolerate acts of indiscipline by its members.

Ten MPs allied to Deputy President William Ruto have accused the party leadership of using State agencies to harass and intimidate them.

The MPs led by Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati) claimed there is an elaborate plan to arrest them, using fabricated charges

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#KENYA: Budget Office Warns Of Overspending By Gov't Departments

[world politics news]

A parliamentary office that advises lawmakers on financial, budgetary and economic matters has raised the red flag over a 78 billion shilling (US$770 million) increase in the budget for the financial year starting July above parliament-approved spending limits.

The Parliamentary Budget Office has warned that such an upward adjustment may widen the deficit in the budget resulting in increased borrowing or growth in pending bills and stalling of budgeted projects. The office noted that many government departments were overspending their allocated budget estimates.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#KENYA: Supreme Court Nullifies September Presidential Elections

[world politics news]

Kenya's Supreme Court has annulled the result of last month's presidential election, citing irregularities, and ordered a new one within 60 days. The election commission had declared incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta the winner by a margin of 1.4 million votes. Raila Odinga, Kenyatta's opponent, said the commission was "rotten" and demanded resignations and prosecutions. President Kenyatta said he would respect the court's decision but also branded the judges "crooks".

[FULL STORY HERE]

#KENYA: Opposition Vows To Overturn "Sham" Election Results

[world politics news]

Kenya's opposition has accused the government of "state terror" and vowed to overturn a "sham" result. Senior opposition official James Orengo said they would not go to court to achieve this. He urged people to stay calm and out of harm's way. Orengo alleged that about 100 people had been killed by the Kenyan security forces but did not offer evidence. Official results gave President Uhuru Kenyatta 54.3%. His challenger Raila Odinga called the election a "charade."

[FULL STORY HERE]

#KENYA: Election Commission Denies Oppo Pty Hacking Claim

[world politics news]

Kenya's electoral commission has denied opposition claims its IT system was hacked in order to manipulate Tuesday's election results. Chief electoral officer Ezra Chiloba told reporters the systems were not compromised at any point.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#KENYA: Legislation Would Give Mothers Of Newborns 6 Months Unpaid Leave

[world politics news]

Working mothers in Kenya could spend at least six months with their newborns if an amendment to the Employment Act that seeks to increase maternity leave is adopted. Buuri MP Kinoti Gatobu is proposing the law to provide for an option to extend maternity leave by another three months without pay.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#KENYA: Clerics, Pols, Urge Pres. Kenyatta: Don't Reopen 2007 Election Violence Wounds

[world politics news]

Clerics and opposition party politicians have called on Pres. Uhuru Kenyatta not to reopen old wounds following his statement he made linking opposition leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to election violence in 2007, in which Odinga was a presidential candidate. Bishops Mwai Abiero of the Anglican Church of Kenya and Washington Ogonyo Ngede said Odinga was not involved in the violence.

[FULL STORY HERE]

Pictured: Anglican Bishop Mwai Abiero of Maseno South diocese at St Stephen's Cathedral in Kisumu

#KENYA: Bill Would Force Alcohol Manufacturers To "Insure" Drinkers, Pay Survivor's Families

[world politics news]

A legislator is proposing a bill that would force manufacturers of alcohol and beer to "insure" users and pay out benefits to families harmed by alcohol use. The bill would make leading brewers and distillers responsible for the "consequences" or aftermath of drinking consumers.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#KENYA: Senate Speaker Orders Probe Into Police Surrounding Parliament During Session

[world politics news]

The speaker of Kenya's Senate has ordered a probe into why police cordoned off parliament during a session in which the ruling coalition pushed through a series of election reforms. Ekwee Ethuro directed the House National Security Committee to look into the matter and report back to the House. "This is not a police state. This is a democracy," Ethuro told senators.

#KENYA: Opposition Rails Against New Election Law In Chaotic Special Session

[world politics news]

Security personnel besieged Parliament Monday, blocking all roads to the chambers, disabling internet and telephone communication during a debate on a controversial election reform bill. Opposition members briefly prevented the speaker of the House from entering the chamber, where the special session debated the changes, which the government said would make elections more transparent.

[FULL STORY HERE]

Pictured: MP Millie Odhiambo and other Opposition MPs protest at Parliament Buildings Monday during a Special Sitting of the House.

#KENYA: Pres. Urges Violence-Free Election In 2017 As Pre-Election Violence Flares

[world politics news]

Pres. Uhuru Kenyatta has given a tough warning against possible election violence to opposition parties ahead of next year's elections, telling them to take election disputes to the courts, not to the streets. The warning came as pre-election violence is already flaring in several counties between factions. He said Kenyans should not forget what happened in 2007 and 2008 after political differences escalated into ethnic hatred, leading to the post-election violence in which 1,133 people were killed and another 650,000 were left homeless.

#KENYA: Parliament Bans "Party Hopping" Of Failed Candidates; Pols Must Choose A Party & Stick With Them

[world politics news]

Aspiring politicians will be required to choose their parties at least three months prior to elections, banning the practice of "party hopping," in which losing primary candidates join other parties in the general election. Parties must also now submit party lists 90 days before elections, and primary candidates must be submitted 21 days before their nomination. In the USA, many states have "sore loser" laws that forbid failed primary candidates from running in general elections as independents.

#KENYA: Nairobi Assembly Speaker, Facing Impeachment, Receives Death Threats

[world politics news]

Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Alex ole Magelo says his life is in danger. He said he received a threatening text that said he would be dead in three days. "I cannot entertain threats on my life." There have been recent motions in the Assembly and petitions circulated to impeach both him and the county's governor.

#KENYA: MP Returns After Ejection From Parliament, Vows To Continue To Interrupt President's Speeches

[world politics news]

Defiant Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi has said he would disrupt President Uhuru Kenyatta's addresses "again and again." Wandayi recently returned to parliament after being ejected after a chaotic March 31 session of parliament in which he and other opposition members consistently used a whistle to interrupt the State of the Nation address by Pres. Uhuru.

#KENYA: Legislation Would Force Pastors To Register, Impose Standards

[world politics news]

Stung by the rise of the "prosperity Gospel" in Kenya, the attorney general has proposed legislation to impose standards on clergy. The move is opposed by the nation's leading evangelical and Muslim organizations. All preachers have to undergo theological training at a reputable seminary, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption commission will have to certify that clergy are not corrupt and foreign pastors will need a work permit, and a recommendation from their government if the law passes.

#KENYA: Pres Kenyatta, Dep. Pres. Ruto, Create New Party, Plan For Succession in 2022

[world politics news]

Pres. Kenyatta and Deputy Pres. William Ruto have created a new party to contest elections in 2017. Kenyatta hopes to win reelection on the new Jubilee Party, and allow Ruto to succeed him as president in 2022. The new, united party hopes to win over central Kenyan voters, who have been suspicious of the president's party, and avoid regionalism that's plagued national politics.

Pictured: Pres. Kenyatta addressing party leaders in Nairobi.

#KENYA: Plan To Eliminate The Senate, Reduce Number Of Counties, Finds Stiff Opposition

[world politics news]

Member of Parliament Moses Kuria wants to eliminate Kenya's Senate and reduce the number of counties, but his plan is being met with stiff opposition from lawmakers who believe the Senate's role of checking the "excesses" of the National Assembly. The Senate was eliminated in 1967 but re-established by the 2010 Constitution.