Raila Odinga, the populist leader of the Kenyan opposition, has pulled ahead of President Mwai Kibaki in the race to head one of Africa’s most vibrant democracies, according to unofficial media tallies of the votes counted so far.

The results of parallel parliamentary elections announced on Friday underscored a new toughness among voters who humiliated the vice-president and up to half the cabinet by ejecting them from their seats.