Home

Court to rule on validity of Kenyatta victory

Reading Time: 1 minute

The hearing into whether Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta will serve his second and final term in office will begin in the Supreme Court of Kenya Tuesday.

Kenya has held two presidential elections in the last three months after the opposition successfully petitioned the court to nullify Kenyatta’s August the eighth victory.

Opposition leader, Raila Odinga withdrew from participating in the re-run of elections, saying the electoral commission was biased.

The Supreme Court will be seeking to answer whether the electoral commission should have ordered political parties to conduct fresh nominations and whether the withdrawal of one candidate should lead to the cancellation of the whole election.

The petitioners also want the elections nullified on the grounds that there was widespread violence and intimidation of voters that puts the integrity of the October polls to question.

The electoral commission however says that it postponed elections in 25 constituencies in the opposition stronghold due threats to its staff and inaccessible polling stations.

Some legal experts argue this time the public interest will likely influence the final ruling.

Commission Chairman Wafula Chebukati in his response says the elections were conducted in conformity with the law.

Judgment will be delivered on Monday next week.

Author

MOST READ