December 29, 2002	Sunday	Shawwal 24, 1423

NAIROBI, Dec 28: Kenya’s opposition appeared on course for a landmark victory on Saturday as unofficial results trickled in from general elections marking the end of President Daniel arap Moi’s 24-year rule.

If the trend continues, Kenya could record one of the most remarkable democratic changes in Africa by peacefully retiring one of the continent’s last old-style political strongmen.

The poll was also shaping into a rout of Moi’s KANU party, for long the unchallenged ruling organ of East Africa’s biggest economy. Nine senior KANU cabinet ministers, including the vice-president and the finance minister, were rejected by voters, according to preliminary results.

“We are cruising to a fantastic and historic victory,” leading opposition politician Kijana Wamalwa said as early returns appeared in line with most analysts’ predictions.

With almost a quarter of the electorate counted by 1520 GMT, unofficial results gave NARC candidate Mwai Kibaki 65 percent of the key presidential vote. KANU’s Uhuru Kenyatta, Moi’s handpicked successor and son of Kenya’s independence leader Jomo Kenyatta, was trailing with 28 percent.

NARC had won 71 seats against 26 for KANU in the race for the largely powerless assembly, according to unofficial results compiled by the Institute for Education in Democracy (IED) and private Nation Television. Parliament has 210 elected members and 12 nominated by the parties.—Reuters