Mr Ruto is currently the country’s deputy president and has beaten opposition leader Raila Odinga to the top post after winning 50.49% of the vote. “We are here this evening to witness this momentous occasion as the people of Kenya reiterate what is in Article 1 of the Constitution of Kenya that all sovereign power rests with the people of Kenya,” Mr Ruto said after the announcement of his victory. “I want to thank God for bringing us to this point, I want to thank God that today we completed this election. “There were predictions that we wouldn’t get here, but because there is a God in heaven we are here, and I want in a very special way to say, and confess, that without God we would not be here. .” It is a triumph for Mr Ruto who has shaken up politics by appealing to struggling Kenyans in economic terms rather than traditional ethnic ones. Despite being sidelined by the President, he had told voters the election was fought between “thugs” like him from modest backgrounds and the “dynasties” of outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr Odinga, whose fathers were the first president and vice president of Kenya. Mr Odinga has been seeking the presidency for a quarter of a century. In his acceptance speech, Mr Ruto also thanked Mr Odinga and highlighted an election focused on issues rather than ethnic divisions, saying “gratitude goes to millions of Kenyans who refused to be pigeonholed into racial cocoons”. Image: William Ruto has been declared the winner of the Kenyan presidential election Earlier, chairs were thrown, bottles smashed and a lectern knocked over as chaos broke out in the main counting hall in Nairobi. Diplomats and international observers were expelled as supporters of Mr Ruto and Mr Odinga clashed with police. The announcement of the election results was thrown into chaos after the deputy chairman of the electoral commission, Julian Cherera, and three other commissioners denied the results. “We are not in a position to take responsibility for the results that will be announced,” Ms Cerera told reporters before Mr Ruto’s victory was revealed. Read more: Kenya elections: What you need to know Economy is key election issue in Kenya East African drought puts millions at risk of severe hunger Amid fears that allegations of vote fraud could lead to outbreaks of violence, Ms Cerera also urged the parties to pursue their disputes through the courts. The sudden split in the commission came minutes after Mr Odinga’s chief agent said they could not verify the results and made allegations of “electoral offences” without providing details or evidence. Sky News correspondent Yousra Elbagir witnessed the outage. “Fighting broke out when members of former prime minister and trailblazer Raila Odinga’s party overturned a table and started overturning chairs and questioning the election results,” he said. “Now, his rival and incumbent Deputy President William Ruto has arrived and an eerie calm has settled at the centre. “People are clapping now, they’ve just welcomed him, but it’s very strange and it’s very uncomfortable to feel that people are acting like what just happened didn’t happen.” Two commissioners and the CEO of the commission were injured in the clashes and are receiving treatment. People waited at the center for hours after several delays in the announcement of the election result. The building was packed with party officials, who were entertained by musicians calling for calm.
