Kenya’s Supreme Court on Monday upheld the election of Deputy President William Ruto as the country’s fifth president, dismissing petitions to overturn the vote.
“IEBC carried out verification, tallying and declaration of results in accordance with provisions of articles 138 (3) (c) and 138 (10)” Chief Justice Martha Koome said while reading the verdict of the court.
The seven judges of the Supreme court made a unanimous decision to uphold the election results. The judges are Chief Justice Martha Koome, Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, Mohamed Ibrahim, Smokin Wanjala, Njoki Ndung’u, Isaac Lenaola and William Ouko.
“It’s our finding that the declared President-Elect acquired 50 per cent plus one vote required by the Constitution” said Chief Justice Martha Koome adding that the election of the William Ruto as president-elect was valid under Article 143 of the constitution.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) formally announced the results of the 9th August 2022 Presidential election and declared Ruto the President elect on Monday, the 15th of August.
William Ruto was declared the winner earlier with just over 50% of the votes after he garnered 7,176,141 votes (50.49) against Azimio counterpart Raila Odinga who got 6,942,930 votes which is 48.85 per cent of the vote.
Mr Odinga, the runner-up in last month’s presidential election, alongside seven other petitioners, went to Supreme court seeking to have Dr Ruto’s win nullified, saying the election was marred with massive irregularities and that the exercise did not meet the constitutional threshold of a free, fair, transparent and verifiable election.
Monday’s ruling now clears the way for Ruto to be sworn in on the 13th of September 2022. The constitution on Assumption of Office of President provides that the President-elect should be sworn in on the seventh day following the date on which the Supreme Court renders a decision declaring the election to be valid.
Ruto becomes Kenya’s fifth president since independence from Britain in 1963, taking the reins of a country battling inflation, high unemployment and a crippling drought.
