Kenya’s Supreme Court Confirms William Ruto As Presidential Winner
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
NAIROBI (Worthy News) – Kenya’s Supreme Court has ruled against candidate Raila Odinga’s challenge to the outcome of last month’s presidential election.
Odinga had alleged electoral fraud after his opponent William Ruto was declared Kenya’s president.
The Kenyan Supreme Court on Monday ruled against Odinga’s petition challenging the results and confirmed that Ruto was victorious in the country’s August 9 election.
The court announcement came after an unpredictable, neck-and-neck battle with millions of Kenyans eagerly watching as the results rolled in.
Kenya’s last three elections were overshadowed by disputed results that led to court cases and street violence.
Those crises prompted the electoral commission to try to ensure a clean vote this time by even posting images on its website of results from more than 46,000 polling stations.
SMALL LEAD
In the end, Ruto received 50.49 percent of the vote, against 48.85 percent for Odinga, the electoral commission said.
It was a difference of just 233,211 votes but enough to avoid a runoff, the official results showed.
Yet, Odinga expressed doubts about the results, but the court rejected his complaints.
Devoted Christian church workers told Worthy News they were closely following the results.
Jane Mihango, a Christian aid worker supporting orphans and other vulnerable children in the African nation, said that
“Christians were praying” for the elections. And, “We are praying for peace,” Pastor Vic Litunya told Worthy News.
Mihango told Worthy News she hopes that life for Christians like herself and the many impoverished children she supports will improve under a new government.
The African nation is still reeling after the coronavirus pandemic and social upheavals.