Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has apologized for the cancellation of election primaries on Friday, the result of a much higher voter turnout than had been expected.

Kenyatta said Saturday that his Jubilee Party would hold new voting on Monday and Tuesday.

The president said in a statement that primary elections do not usually inspire the level of turnout seen Friday. Complications included insufficient materials, flawed ballots and general confusion. As a result, primaries were canceled in 15 of 21 counties.

The primaries are being held in advance of a national election in August that will include the contest for the presidency.

Kenya’s most recent election in 2013 was peaceful, but a decade ago, about 1,000 people died in postelection violence.

The Jubilee Party formed last year in a merger of 12 parties and was designed to consolidate support for the president. Friday’s confusion was a big embarrassment for the new group.
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