Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has denied congratulating incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi as the Democratic Republic of Congo awaits final results of the country’s presidential elections.
The AU-Kenya Peace Envoy and Facilitator of the EAC-led Nairobi Peace Process said in a statement on his official X handle that he did not author the said message in which he had alleged asked Tshisekedi to unify the country.
“The office of the 4th President of the Republic of Kenya and Facilitator of the EAC-Led Nairobi Peace Process, would like to disassociate itself from this news update doing rounds within various mainstream and social media platforms,” the statement reads.
Tshisekedi had taken a commanding lead in the elections largely denounced by opposition candidates as a “sham” as the country awaited the announcement of the final results Sunday evening.
In a joint statement on Sunday, his main challengers called for protests against the outcome of the December 20 polls that were marred by widespread logistical hiccups and chaos.
“We call on our people to take to the streets en masse after the proclamation of the electoral fraud,” they said.
The results are expected to be announced by the country’s election agency boss Denis Kadima any time Sunday evening.
Tshisekedi was challenged for his second term at the ballot by 18 opposition candidates including mining entrepreneur and football tycoon Moise Katumbi.
On Thursday, police clashed with opposition supporters in the streets of the capital Kinshasa forcing the law enforcers to lob teargas to disperse the protesters who were demanding a rerun.
Police barricaded roads and stopped an attempted march to the electoral commission headquarters.
Some 44 million Congolese nationals were registered to cast their votes in the election that also saw voters line up to elect Members of Parliament and provincial and municipal representatives.
The elections were, however, not held in parts of eastern region where government forces have been battling rebel groups for the past three decades.
By Star