The Kenyan government ordered the suspension of moves to shut down two rights groups that have raised concerns over last week's election, hours after authorities raided one of the group's offices. Police and tax authorities on Wednesday raided the Africa Centre for Open Governance (AfriCOG), one of the organisations that has regularly highlighted problems with preparations for the August 8 vote.
President Uhuru Kenyatta won the election by a margin of 1.4 million votes, according to official figures. Observers say the process was largely free and fair but opposition leader Raila Odinga has disputed the results as rigged. In Wednesday's letter seen by Reuters, acting Interior Minister Fred Matiang'i instructed Fazul Mohamed, head of the non-government organisation coordination board, to suspend action against the organisations for up to 90 days while talks with the government are held.
Government threats to shut the AfriCOG and the Kenya Human Rights Commission drew condemnation from the United Nations, European Union and groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch who feared a crackdown on dissent.