On Monday, Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga told Reuters he would abide by the Supreme Court’s ruling.
On August 22, Raila Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua filed a petition in the jurisdiction to contest the August 9 election results.
In a recent press conference, the former Kenyan prime minister reaffirmed his faith in the Supreme Court’s ruling despite claiming victory in the disputed presidential election.
Raila Odinga says he has proof of his victory. In his words, he would have achieved the 51% of votes required to be elected in the first round according to constitutional provisions. He should recount the votes.
The 77-year-old politician lost his fifth presidential bid by about 230,000 votes, or less than two percent.
No presidential election in Kenya has been uncontested since 2002, and this year’s results have split the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which oversaw the poll.
According to a copy of the 72-page petition seen by AFP, Odinga’s team accuses IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati of failing to count 140,000 votes.
As a result, William Ruto “did not meet the constitutional threshold of 50% and 1 legitimate vote” – the condition for him to be declared the winner.
The judges still have a week to deliver their verdict. If they order an annulment, a new referendum must be held within 60 days.
The Kenyan Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling on September 5.