Kenya’s Opposition called on people to stay away from work yesterday in protest at last week’s declared election result, but response to the call was limited with many businesses re-opening after being closed during the tense election period.

Many shops opened up again in the capital, Nairobi, and in the western town of Kisumu for the first time in days, and cars and buses were moving around on streets that had been deserted even before the result was announced of the August 8 presidential election.

In Kibera, Nairobi’s biggest slum where Opposition support is strong, minibuses and taxis were also plying their trade through the rubble-strewn streets, and some food stalls and phone and money outlets opened their doors.

But residents there said most people were observing the opposition’s call to stay away from work in protest over the vote which it says was rigged.

The election commission declared President Uhuru Kenyatta winner by 1.4 million votes. International observers said the vote was largely fair and a parallel tally by domestic monitors supported the outcome.

But protests erupted in Opposition-supporting pockets of Nairobi and in Kisumu, where defeated Opposition leader Raila Odinga has strong support.

Kenya is the economic motor of East Africa but most of its 45 million population rely on informal work to make ends meet.

Ken Nabwere, a Nairobi resident, said he had little choice but to return to work after days of inactivity even though he supported the opposition National Super Alliance (Nasa) coalition which called the strike.

“I was supposed to vote and [leave] the rest to the politicians because if I was to boycott work today those guys don’t pay my bills,” he told Reuters.

“I would advise others that unless you have permission from your boss, then you better go to work,” he said.

“Nasa is not going to pay for our bills, I don’t think it’s a good move to tell people not to go to work actually... we have been out of business for us for one week,” said university lecturer Samuel Mukoma.

Election commission figures showed Kenyatta won 54.3 per cent of the vote, ahead of Odinga on 44.7 per cent.

Nearly 80 per cent of the 19 million registered voters cast their ballots.

Though Odinga says the vote was fraudulent, his Nasa coalition has ruled out going to court and says it will announce its strategy yesterday.

A Kenyan human rights group said 24 people were shot dead by police in the violence.

The police have put the number of dead at six and said those killed were armed criminals who attacked officers who were attempting to arrest them.