Main content

Kenya’s Election Rounding Error

Official figures didn’t add up - but due to rounding, not fraud.

When the official figures were announced in Kenya’s presidential election, it looked like the total percentage share of the vote for each candidate came to more than 100%. As this should not be possible, many wondered if up to 142,000 votes might be miscounted. We explore what turns out to be a simple mathematical misunderstanding of the numbers.

Reporters: Beverly Ochieng, Peter Mwai and Charlotte McDonald.
Producer: Charlotte McDonald

(Kenyan woman casts her ballot at a polling station during Kenya's general election August 9 2022. Credit: Luis Tato/Getty Images)

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Mon 29 Aug 202209:50GMT
BBC World Service

More episodes

Previous

The numbers behind 'natural' birth control

Next

Energy prices, excess deaths and Wales v England in counting

See all episodes from More or Less

Broadcasts

  • Sat 27 Aug 202204:50GMT
    BBC World Service
  • Sat 27 Aug 202222:50GMT
    BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean
  • Sat 27 Aug 202223:50GMT
    BBC World Service Online, UK DAB/Freeview, News Internet & Europe and the Middle East only
  • Sun 28 Aug 202200:50GMT
    BBC World Service South Asia & East Asia only
  • Sun 28 Aug 202213:50GMT
    BBC World Service Australasia & News Internet only
  • Sun 28 Aug 202222:50GMT
    BBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Mon 29 Aug 202209:50GMT
    BBC World Service

Unlock the history and truth behind the data with The OU

Unlock the history and truth behind the data with The OU

Explore how numbers shape, and sometimes mislead us, with The Open University.

When can you trust statistics?

When can you trust statistics?

BBC Ideas discovers three easy ways to help make sense of statistics.

Podcast

  • More or Less

    Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics used in everyday life