Raila Odinga, Kenya’s opposition leader, has restated his commitment to upholding the Supreme Court’s decision.
Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua petitioned the country’s highest court on August 22 to challenge the outcome of the August 9 election.
Odinga recently reaffirmed his trust in the Supreme Court verdict, despite claiming victory in the just ended presidential election.
Read more: Odinga challenges the presidential election results in court in Kenya.
Odinga claimed to have proof that he had won the election, which requires a candidate to win 50% plus one vote. He wishes for a recount.
The 77-year-old lawmaker was defeated in his fifth presidential run by a tiny margin of roughly 230,000 votes – less than two percentage points.
No presidential election in Kenya has gone unopposed since 2002, with this year’s result prompting a schism within the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which oversaw the vote.
Odinga’s camp claims that IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati failed to count roughly 140,000 ballots, according to a copy of the 72-page appeal seen by AFP.
As a result, Ruto “failed to satisfy the constitutional threshold of 50% plus one of the legitimate votes cast,” which is required for him to be proclaimed the winner.
Judges now have less than a week to rule. If they order a re-vote, it must be held within 60 days.
