Thursday , November 7 2024

THIS WEEK: Kenyatta’s victory in repeat poll upheld

Tears of joy: A Jubilee supporter reacts after the ruling by Kenya High Court that upheld Kenyatta’s election

THIS WEEK: Kenyatta’s victory in repeat poll upheld

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | On Nov. 28, President Uhuru Kenyatta will be sworn in for another term as president of Kenya after court upheld his victory in a repeat poll that only attracted a few voters.

During a Nov. 20 verdict Chief Justice David Maraga said that the August 26 election results had been upheld and it was a unanimous decision by six judges.

Earlier, on Nov.06, Court received two petitions challenging the legality of the re-run presidential poll with petitioners calling for overturning the results and charging opposition leader Raila Odinga for boycotting an election he had initially called for.

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The first petitioner, a former parliamentarian John Harun Mwau argued that before conducting the election the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) should have conducted fresh nominations whereas the second petitioner – Khelef Khalifa, the chairman of the Kenyan chapter of the International commission of Jurists (ICJ) and director of Muslims for Human Rights argued repeat election which gave Kenyatta a 98% win and saw only 38% of voters casting their votes was mismanaged by the electoral body.

He among others cited the failure of elections to take place in some constituencies and a statement made by IEBC’s chairman Wafula Chebukati on Election Day that he couldn’t guarantee a free and fair poll.

The organization also asked that Court declares Odinga and other leaders of his National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition guilty of electoral offences for interfering with the fresh polls after the August.08 initial elections.

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