Kenya’s Supreme Court has upheld the country’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) decision to announce former Deputy President, William Ruto as the country’s President-elect.
The Supreme Court ruling on September 5, which was unanimously reached by the seven-judge bench, essentially confirms Dr Ruto as the country’s fifth president.
The country’s apex court led by Chief Justice, Martha Koome, threw out the consolidated petition by Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition (and other petitioners) that argued that IEBC’s declaration of Dr Ruto as President-elect on August 15, was null and void on the basis of alleged electoral malpractices.
In IEBC’s announcement then, Dr Ruto, through the Kenya Kwanza Coalition, garnered 7,176,141 votes, representing 50.49 per cent, while his closest challenger, Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Alliance’s flagbearer Raila Odinga, had 6,942,930 votes, representing 48.85 per cent of the total votes cast.
A number of petitions were thereafter raised regarding the announcement, by different interested people and institutions.
Nullification of the elections
In total, the Supreme Court had received nine petitions in relation to Dr Ruto’s announcement as President-elect; eight of which challenged the election announcement, while one was in support of his victory.
The Court had then singled out nine key issues touching on the August 6, General Elections, upon which it sought to base its final judgement and which would determine the outcome of the presidential election petition.
But in its ruling, the Supreme Court bench determined that none of the nine primary issues highlighted in the poll petition had enough weight to warrant a nullification of the elections. Thus, the petitioners lost all these key points in the eventual unanimous decision of the Court.
While on one hand, the leading petitioners expressed their discontentment with the ruling, they, on the other hand, pledged to respect the Court’s verdict.
Dr Ruto’s election confirmation as valid now paves way for his swearing-in as the country’s President on September 13, 2022, as per Article 141 (2) (b) of the Kenya Constitution.
