Uhuru Kenyatta confirmed as Kenyan president

President Uhuru Kenyatta won re-election in Kenya on Friday, defeating veteran opposition leader and longtime rival Raila Odinga in a tense contest.

Kenya's election commission declared that the 55-year-old businessman and son of the country's founding President had received enough votes to secure a second

Kenyatta garnered 54.27% of the final vote, similar to what he had in a preliminary count. Odinga received 44.74%.

The President, in a nationally broadcast speech, said he and his opponent were not enemies.

"We are all citizens of one republic," he said. "As with any competition, there shall always be winners and there shall be losers. But we all belong to one great nation called Kenya."

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Kenyatta said he wanted to work with the opposition National Super Alliance (NASA).

"I extend a hand of partnership knowing fully well that this country needs all of us pulling together in order for us to succeed," he said.

Congratulations came from Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni as well as Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who applauded Kenyatta on Twitter "for a successful election and the trust Kenyans have placed in you!"

The President told his countrymen there was no need for violence.

The nation's top elections official, Wafula Chebukati, said the vote was carried out in a "free, fair and credible manner."

Odinga, a 72-year-old former political prisoner who has campaigned for the presidency four times, is refusing to accept the results, claiming the vote was hacked.

Speaking before the declaration, Musalia Mudavadi, co-principal of NASA, said the organization would not be party to the announcement of Kenyatta as President, citing unresolved concerns about the veracity of the electoral process.

"The issues we raised have not been adequately addressed," he said. "One can conclude that they (Kenya's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission) were not keen on taking our concerns seriously."

James Orengo, NASA party chief agent, described the process as a "disaster." "This has been an entire charade. The judgment is now out there in the court of public opinion."

Odinga, running as the NASA candidate, told CNN Thursday that he doesn't "trust" the paper forms from polling stations around the country that officials used to authenticate votes. 

Odinga said the forms could have been "manipulated" before being returned to the capital. At a news conference Thursday, members of Odinga's party gave no evidence to support any claims of election tampering, citing only unnamed sources at the election commission.

In a letter released Friday morning, Chebukati, the chairman of the election commission, rejected the opposition coalition's evidence of election fraud, calling it "obviously and plainly falsified."

On Thursday, Chebukati said tampering with the election system "was attempted but did not succeed," without elaborating further.

Culled from CNN.com