Kenya: Attack on a vote tallying center in Tana River county /update 2

Event

Police officials reported that an election official was killed in an attack on a vote tallying center Tana River county on Wednesday, August 9. Reportedly, five men brandishing machetes and knives attacked the center. Two of the attackers were shot and killed by police, while the others reportedly escaped. It is reported that the victim of the attack was working for the ruling Jubilee Party. The identities of the attackers and why the vote tallying center was targeted is unclear. Further details are still emerging.

The attack comes amid escalating tensions and post-electoral violence in the country after opposition presidential candidate Raila Odinga described the preliminary results of the August 8 general election as fraudulent. Further outbreaks of violence are possible.

Context

Violence continues to mar the release of the results of the August 8 presidential election.  Violent protests broke out in Nairobi earlier on August 9 over allegations of fraud in the presidential election. According to local media reports, police shot and killed at least two people during the clashes. However, the police officials have not confirmed the shooting. There are also unconfirmed reports that security forces fired live ammunition at demonstrators in the city of Kisumu.

Previous elections in Kenya have been widely contested and marred with violence. Kenya's primary elections, which took place between April 13 and April 30, were marked by violence and numerous irregularities. More than 60 people were charged with electoral offenses following chaos and violence during party primaries. In Nairobi, one person was killed and another seriously injured during clashes between rival candidates. Furthermore, the 2007 presidential elections were marred by major violence, resulting in an estimated 1200 deaths. Protests after elections in 2013, which were undermined by claims of fraud after many of the electronic voting systems failed, resulted in several deaths.

Advice

Individuals in Kenya are advised to avoid all public gatherings (particularly political events) due to the risk of violence and to monitor the situation. Some Western diplomatic authorities are advising their nationals in country to make personal contingency plans for the election period (e.g. stock up on food and water), including the days immediately following the announcement of election results. Additionally, those undertaking long-distance travel within the country are advised to consider traveling via plane (rather than by road) to minimize exposure to security threats. On separate note, due to the significant terrorist threat, individuals present in Kenya are advised to remain vigilant, to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities, and to be particularly cautious when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted in an attack (government buildings, places of worship, tourist sites, etc.).