Tense Kenya awaits loser’s next move
presidential election
3 minutes
13:13 today
After Monday’s turmoil, it remains unclear whether Laila Odinga will ask courts to overturn William Root’s victory in last week’s election.
After Monday’s turmoil, it remains unclear whether Laila Odinga will ask courts to overturn William Root’s victory in last week’s election.
Supporters of Azimio La Umoja party presidential candidate Laila Odinga demonstrate by burning tires in Kibera, Nairobi, after William Ruto was announced as Kenya’s next president
Photo credit: AFP
As the country awaits a statement on whether to ask the courts to overturn the victory of rival William Ruto in last week’s election, following five losses to presidential candidate Laila Odinga. , Kenya was in a state of tension on Tuesday.
Wafula Chebukati, chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, said on Monday that Ruto had 50.5% support and Odinga had 48.9% support in the Aug. 9 vote, leaving the two candidates with just 233,211 votes. announced that they were separated. But four of his seven electoral commissions rejected the results, citing a lack of transparency in the process.
Odinga, 77, is scheduled to address the nation at 2:00 pm local time. His press secretary, Dennis Onsarigo, questioned lawyer Paul Mwangi, who did not answer several calls to his cell phone.
Several of Odinga’s other campaign officials rejected the results, but no one knew if Odinga intended to file a petition with the Supreme Court to nullify them.
An appeal must be filed within 7 days of the publication of the results, and the court must make a final decision on its validity within 14 days thereafter.
Many Odinga supporters took to the streets of the capital Nairobi late Monday to set tires on fire, but the situation was largely calm on Tuesday.
Supporters of Azimio La Umoja’s presidential candidate Laila Odinga throw stones at a police station in Kisumu, western Kenya, on Monday to protest the outcome of the Kenyan general election.
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Kenya’s previously contested elections have been marred by violence, the worst of which came after the 2007 poll, which claimed at least 1,100 lives and displaced about 350,000 people from their homes.
Kenya’s 2032 Eurobond yield rose 67 basis points to 12.1% on Monday. They were little changed on Tuesday.
Ruto, 55, said the IEBC had “turned backwards to cater to everyone” and that while the election result speaks for itself, those unwilling to accept that they lost are the only ones who are willing to accept its effectiveness. questioning sexuality.
“Kenyan people are speaking out and we need to respect what they are saying,” he told reporters in Nairobi after being declared president-elect.
“We’re going to move in earnest. We’re preparing for the first day of the president’s oath, when I have the legal authority to do things,” Rutp said. to keep the situation under control. ”
If Odinga can win a majority in the National Assembly, Root’s government may fight to pass legislation. and there are four remaining elections. Root’s allies won the other chamber of Congress, the Senate, one seat behind him.
Kenyan police fire tear gas amid chaos in Kisumu on Monday
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Election Observers, made up of 5,000 local observers from civil rights and religious groups, said the results announced by the IEBC were consistent with parallel counting, and the constitution gives Chebkati the right to declare the results. said.
“The 2022 elections are an improvement from 2017,” group chair Ann Ileli told reporters in Nairobi. “Victims can use materials from the dissenting commissioner to prosecute their case.”
The US Embassy in Nairobi congratulated Kenyans on peacefully exercising their right to vote.
“Going forward, we urge all political parties to work together to peacefully resolve any remaining concerns regarding this election through existing dispute resolution mechanisms,” it said in a statement Monday. “We urge all political party leaders to continue to urge their supporters to keep the peace and refrain from violence during the election process.”
The Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, said it was mindful of the results and encouraged all candidates to honor their commitments to recognize the consequences and resort to legal means to address any challenges.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Nigerian President Muhammad Buhari and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa were among the foreign leaders who celebrated Root’s victory.
Buhari tweeted: “I wish him a successful appointment and term and look forward to a more fruitful and stronger relationship between Nigeria and Kenya.
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