2017 August Presidential Results: Kenyatta vs Odinga County-by-County

Kenyatta increased his margin from 2013. But the story is in which counties flipped.

On 8th August 2017, Kenyans went to the polls in what would become one of the most disputed elections in African history. Uhuru Kenyatta of the Jubilee Party won with 8,203,290 votes (54.27%). Raila Odinga of ODM came second with 6,762,224 votes (44.74%). Six other candidates shared the remaining 1%.

But the national numbers hide the real story. Kenya's presidential elections are won county by county. And in 2017, the county-level results revealed a deeply divided nation.

The National Picture: 8 Candidates, 2 Contenders

Eight candidates appeared on the ballot. Only two mattered. Kenyatta secured votes in 35 of 47 counties above the 25% threshold. Odinga crossed 25% in 29 counties. The other six candidates — Aukot (27,311), Dida (38,093), Nyagah (42,259), Jirongo (11,705), Kaluyu (16,482), and Mwaura (13,257) — collectively won just 148,097 votes, under 1% of the total.

Out of 19,611,423 registered voters, 15,114,622 valid votes were cast, plus 81,685 rejected ballots. That is a turnout of roughly 77%. Kenyans showed up.

County-by-County: Where the Margins Were Biggest

The biggest margins were in the political strongholds. In Kiambu, Kenyatta won 912,588 votes to Odinga's 69,190 — a margin of 843,398 votes. That single county gave Kenyatta more than half of his national lead of 1.4 million votes.

On Odinga's side, Nairobi was surprisingly close. Odinga edged Kenyatta 828,826 to 791,291 — a margin of just 37,535 in Kenya's largest county. But in Kakamega, Odinga dominated with 483,157 to Kenyatta's 63,399 — a margin of 419,758.

The top 5 counties by margin for Kenyatta were:

1. Kiambu: +843,398
2. Nakuru: +528,440
3. Murang'a: +489,126
4. Meru: +426,978
5. Nyeri: +384,675

The top 5 counties by margin for Odinga were:

1. Kakamega: +419,758
2. Homa Bay: +398,391
3. Siaya: +373,218
4. Kisumu: +362,552
5. Machakos: +297,389

The Battleground Counties

Not every county was a fortress. Several were genuinely competitive:

• Lamu: Kenyatta 23,905 vs Odinga 24,421 — Odinga won by just 516 votes
• Samburu: Kenyatta 31,746 vs Odinga 31,615 — Kenyatta won by 131 votes
• Garissa: Kenyatta 54,783 vs Odinga 54,356 — just 427 votes apart
• Tana River: Kenyatta 40,115 vs Odinga 45,067 — Odinga by 4,952
• Narok: Kenyatta 149,376 vs Odinga 129,360 — Kenyatta by 20,016

These swing counties are where elections are decided. A candidate who can shift even 5% of voters in Nairobi, Nakuru, or the North Eastern counties changes the entire national outcome.

Strongholds: Where 90%+ Voted One Way

Kenya's political geography is defined by strongholds. In 2017, the most extreme results included:

• Homa Bay: Odinga won 99.3% of valid votes (400,351 vs 1,960)
• Siaya: Odinga won 99.1% (375,712 vs 2,494)
• Nyandarua: Kenyatta won 99.0% (286,593 vs 2,286)
• Kirinyaga: Kenyatta won 98.6% (297,652 vs 3,120)
• Nyeri: Kenyatta won 98.4% (389,410 vs 4,735)

In these counties, the presidential vote was essentially unanimous. This pattern of ethnic voting blocs has persisted across every Kenyan election since 2007.

What the IEBC Data Shows

According to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), a total of 15,196,307 ballots were cast (valid plus rejected). The rejection rate was 0.54%, relatively low by Kenyan standards.

Kenyatta met the constitutional threshold of 50%+1 of valid votes cast and 25% in at least 24 of 47 counties. He cleared 25% in 35 counties. Odinga cleared the threshold in 29 counties. Both men could have formed a government on the regional spread alone.

But the results would not stand. On 1st September 2017, the Supreme Court of Kenya nullified the election, citing "irregularities and illegalities" in the transmission of results. It was the first time a court in Africa had overturned a presidential election.

Read more about what happened next: The Fresh Election That Changed Everything.

Key Takeaways

1. Kenyatta's margin was comfortable nationally — 9.53 percentage points, or 1,441,066 votes
2. Five counties decided the election — Kiambu alone gave Kenyatta an 843,398-vote lead
3. Swing counties exist but are few — Lamu, Samburu, and Garissa were genuinely competitive
4. The Supreme Court disagreed with the numbers — and ordered a fresh election within 60 days

Track election results in real time. Votrack helps political parties and election observers monitor votes from every polling station across all six positions. Request a demo to see how county-by-county tracking works.