President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday congratulated Kenya’s president-elect Uhuru Kenyatta on his victory and urged Kenyans to maintain peace.

Mr Kenyatta, the son of Kenya’s founding President Jomo Kenyatta garnered 50.07 per cent of the vote against his closest opponent Raila Odinga who received 43.6%.

“While about 85 per cent of registered voters got the opportunity to cast their vote to choose their leader, I therefore would like to congratulate the Kenyan public for exercising their democratic rights peacefully,” said president Mohamud.

“The Somali government and its people wish to congratulate the president-elect Uhuru Kenyatta. We are committed to continue strengthening relations between us and Kenya,” added the president.

He said he is optimistic that Kenyans will react peacefully with the outcome of the election and resolve disputes through legal system to avoid repeat of the 2007-2008 post-election violence in their country.

“Security and stability of East Africa as a region is in doubt, we must all work together in maintaining peace in the region. So, we would like to urge our Kenyan brothers and sisters and their leaders to respect the value of human life and their property.”

After the results were announced, Mr Kenyatta told cheering supporters he would serve all Kenyans “without fear or favour”.

He said voters had “demonstrated a level of political maturity that surpassed expectations”, and he called on Mr Odinga and other leaders to “join us in moving our nation forward”.

However Mr Odinga, the current prime minister, said the election commission had “failed Kenyans” and that democracy itself was “on trial”.

He announced that he would challenge the results of a “tainted election” in the Supreme Court.

He also appealed for calm, saying: “Any violence could destroy this nation forever.”

Source:Alshahid