Rwanda & Kenya: Two East African Countries, Two Incumbents Presidents, Two New Mandates.

As Early as 4 am on the 4th August, 2017; the Rwandans in some rural areas were starting to form the lines in front of the electoral offices, most of them being the oldest. But those are not the bigger part of the voting class in Rwanda. The youth, most of them being their chance to cast a vote started to arrive between 8-9 am. The mood was the same among them: "Tujye Gutora Muzehe Wacu"-"Let us go vote for our Elder".

Not later that the social media started to flock with inked thumbs together with the hashtag #rwandadecides. 

The Youth started to share with enthusiasm the inked thumbs on social media

Is it even surprising that by 11 am most of the electoral offices were reporting already 90% turn out? NO.

It has been years for Rwandans to go for a vote so early.

Is it surprising that before the day end the incumbent President Paul KAGAME was in front of other candidates with 98.63% of  the vote? No.

For someone who have been following the campaign would not expect any less with the clouds of people flocking the streets and people walking miles and miles to see him. Not say a number of the small parties (9 parties) which had already decided to support his candidacy and their representatives speaking on occasions in his rallies.

The supporters of Kagame started drinking and dancing early than 3 pm when the elections was supposed to end.

Celebrations in Kigali after Kagame re-election

 As of the other candidates, Dr Frank HABINEZA representing the opposition party of Democratic Green Party of Rwanda was not even close to 1% of the votes, He scored just 0.43% even less than the Independent candidate Philippe MPAYIMANA. 

Maybe this not even a big news give how low was the attendance in their campaign, and maybe this suggests the very small-room (or nothing to oppose) for opposition party in Rwanda or a very big point to prove to the Rwandans that they have something better to attract their support. Otherwise I don't see them doing better than they did in the next elections for parliament members in 2018 and in the presidential elections of 2024. The best thing is that they accepted the results and congratulated Him.

Isn't what should be expected of them in that situation!? No Doubt.

Left:R.Odinga, Right: U. Kenyatta

That takes me to Kenya, the country which, as Rwanda, is the member of the regional coalition of EAC (East African Community), where the situation is almost opposite to the one in Rwanda. The incumbent president Uhuru KENYATTA was in election Tuesday, 8th August 2017, for his second mandate against the tough opposition of the former prime minister Raila ODINGA who represents his party, National Super Alliance.

The difference of 1.4 millions votes, with the electoral commission already published results showing Uhuru Kenyatta ahead with 54.4%, Raila Odinga falling a little short with 44.8%, has already started protesters clashes. This is after the claim by Raila Odinga that there has been hackings on the commission's computers and database to favor the Uhuru Kenyatta.

But let us be honest we have seen this scene before. Ten years ago, Raila Odinga rejected the presidential election results which were in favor of Mwai Kibaki and the ethnic motivated protesters invaded the streets in violence that claimed the lives of more than 1200 people and landed Uhuru Kenyata and his Deputy President in International Criminal Court for the crimes against the Humanity (which were later dropped). 

Demonstrators set barricades on fire in Kisumu, Kenya.

Before even that the polls in Kenya has been disputed in 1992 and 1997.

The question is how far this chaos will go this time? Pray not far!

As of the final results, we all know, by experience that Uhuru Kenyata will be the president of Kenya for the next 5 years.

As of the East Africa Community, I can ensure, with the two incumbents presidents staying in power in Rwanda and Kenya while Burundi and Uganda's presidents respectively enjoying their third and fifth  terms, will not have a new face in its next summit.

Deputy President William Ruto
Read more at: https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000228699/raila-odinga-won-2007-election-says-sk-macharia-as-mwai-kibaki-disputes-claim