Kenya’s Supreme Court has unanimously validated the August 9, 2022 election of the country’s Vice President, William Ruto as the President-elect.
In a ruling endorsed by all the seven justices of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Martha Koome said the case of the opposition leader Raila Odinga lacked merit and confirmed that Ruto won by 50.5 percent against Odinga’s 48.8 percent.
Ruto is bill to take over from President Uhuru Kenyatta on September 13.
Odinga, who failed to secure the presidency on his 5th attempt, along with six other parties, petitioned the court to nullify Ruto’s victory, alleging massive irregularities that compromised the fairness of the poll.
Justice Koome delivered an abridged version of the court’s decision and assured that the full judgment will be presented within 21 days.
While the chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Wafula Chebukati defended the integrity of the election, four of the body’s other six members distanced themselves from his pronouncement, citing lack of transparency over the count. A group of 5,000 local observers however said the results were in line with its own parallel tallies.
Several previous election disputes in Kenya had degenerated into violence, the worst of which occurred in 2007 and claimed the lives of at least 1,100 people. Although the current electoral process has been largely peaceful, investors are watching closely for any potential unrest.
