Kenya’s presidential election candidate Raila Odinga on Monday formally filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the results of the August 9 election that handed victory to his rival William Ruto, reported The Reuters.
“What we did this morning is to file the online copy,” Odinga’s lawyer Daniel Maanzo told Kenyan television channel on Monday. “After today there will be four days for the other parties to reply.”
In the 72-page petition, Odinga’s legal team alleges that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati failed to tally around 140,000 votes.
Last week, Kenya’s electoral commission chief, Wafula Chebukati, declared Deputy President Ruto as the winner of the recently held election by a slim margin. But four out of seven election commissioners dissented, saying the tallying of results had not been transparent.
Odinga called the results as a “travesty” but said he would settle the dispute in court and urged supporters to remain peaceful.
This is Odinga’s fifth presidential election; he blamed several previous losses on rigging. Those disputes triggered Kenya’s worst electoral violence in the 2007 vote, when more than 1,100 people died in politically motivated clashes involving rival tribes.
In 2017, the Supreme Court overturned the election result and ordered a re-run, which Odinga boycotted, saying he had no faith in the election commission.
In the latest election, Odinga is backed by the political establishment. President Uhuru Kenyatta endorsed Odinga’s candidacy after falling out with Ruto after the last election.
Kenya’s Supreme Court now has 14 days from Monday to hear Odinga’s case and deliver a verdict. If the seven judges rule in favor of 77-year-old politician, they could order a recount of votes, a fresh election, or award Odinga the presidency.
The election in East Africa’s wealthiest and most stable nation is seen as a democratic barometer for the rest of the region.
