Kenya election: Odinga held to court
Raila Odinga, a defeated presidential candidate in the just concluded Kenya’s presidential election has filed a petition in Kenya’s top court, challenging the result of the August 9 election which saw incumbent Deputy President William Ruto emerging victorious.
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Odinga, a long-time opposition leader, who ran for Kenya’s top job with the backing of President Kenyatta and the ruling party but narrowly lost the election by 230,000 votes, rejected the outcome of the poll calling it a “travesty”.
77-year-old Odinga filed the physical copy of the petition yesterday, barely 24 hours before the expiration of the deadline that the court can entertain the case.
What is contained in the petition?
According to AFP, Odinga’s legal team in the 72 pages petition, alleged that the Electoral Chairman, Wafula Chebukati, failed to tally around 140,000 votes, as a result, the declared winner, William Ruto did not meet the constitutional threshold of 50% plus one of the valid votes cast, which is the requirement for him to be declared the winner.
What does this petition mean?
With the submission of the petition by Odinga, judges now have 14 days to issue a ruling. If they order an annulment, then a rerun must be conducted in 60 days.
