Kenya's election commission announced early today that Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta prevailed in the country's presidential elections by the slimmest of margins, winning 50.03 per cent of the vote.

Kenyatta needed to break the 50 per cent barrier to avoid a run-off with Odinga, but he did so by only 4,099 votes out of more than 12.3 million cast.

By 6.00 am, sounds of jubilations and vuvuzelas from Kenyatta’s supporters reverberated all around the streets of Nairobi as well as the city's outskirts.

The election commission had earlier planned to announce the results on Friday but extended the exercise to Saturday morning at 11.00 am.