by Wareez Odunayo

Results of elections in Africa are known in advance because incumbents barely lose. Since 1990, sitting presidents and their anointed successors have won 80 percent of elections.

Yoweri Museveni of Uganda was reelected in 2016 after defeating his closest opponent by more than 20 percentage points. In Tanzania, John Magufuli beat his main opponent by more than 15 percentage points in 2015, while Paul Kagame of Rwanda was reelected last weekend with more than 98 percent of the vote.

Kenyans on Tuesday, August 8, 2017, went to the polls to elect their next president.

According to polling data displayed on the website of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) disclosed that 95.3% of the election results have been computed which the incumbent President, Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta leading with 54.3%, to Mr. Raila Odinga’s 44.8% share of the vote. These results mean Kenyatta is heading for a first-round victory.

Kenyatta has been facing longtime opposition leader, Raila Odinga, the country’s former prime minister, in a narrowly contested election which has led to the death of some persons.

Kenyatta is the son of Kenya’s first president while Odinga is the son of the country’s first vice president. Mr. Odinga, 72, has contested for president three times and lost each time.

However, Odinga has rejected the election result, insisting that the electoral commission’s IT system has been hacked to manipulate the election results. But Kenya’s election chief, Wafula Chebukati said he had confidence in the system but Odinga’s claims would be investigated.

In order to avoid a run-off, a candidate needs 50% plus one of the votes cast and at least a 25% share of the vote in 24 of Kenya’s 47 counties. Eight candidates went to the poll, but apart from Kenyatta and Odinga, none polled more than 0.3% of the vote.

Mr Kenyatta won 50.7% of the vote at the last election in 2013, narrowly avoiding a run-off.

There are fears that the Kenyatta-led administration might try to manipulate the election.

Also, recent elections have been contested and more than 1,000 people were killed in post-election violence a decade ago.

Mr Kenyatta and his running-mate William Ruto were indicted by the International Criminal Court for their alleged roles in the bloodshed a decade ago. The case collapsed due to lack of evidence, and after key witnesses died or disappeared.

Attentions are now on the IEBC, which received praised on Tuesday for overseeing a largely successful voting exercise.

The commission now has the difficult task to convince anxious Kenyans that it has stuck to the promise of delivering free, fair and credible elections in the past.