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Article snippet: NAIROBI, Kenya — President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday was officially declared the winner of a bitterly disputed election in Raila Odinga, refused to concede defeat, criticizing the vote as a charade and edging the country closer to violence. Mr. Kenyatta, 55, was re-elected with just over 54 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s election, easily surpassing the 50 percent threshold needed to avoid a runoff, according to an announcement from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. Mr. Odinga, 72, the opposition leader, received 44.7 percent of the vote. After a campaign marred by accusations of vote-rigging, fears of violence and the killing of a top election official, the vote was carried out peacefully and, according to international observers, fairly. There were relatively few protests in the days that followed, as political leaders, including members of the opposition, appealed to the public to remain calm. But Mr. Odinga and his representatives have insisted that the vote was rigged and that he was the rightful winner. On Friday, Mr. Odinga’s party, the National Super Alliance, refused to take part in the announcement of the election results, accusing the commission of releasing the outcome before addressing its concerns. Top opposition party officials also indicated that they were unwilling to resolve their claims about election fraud in court, in comments that could be interpreted by supporters as a call to protest. Protests in several opposition stron... Link to the full article to read more