The Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition candidate in the just concluded Kenya presidential election, Raila Odinga has rejected the election results announced Monday evening at the Bomas of Kenya.
Raila says the announcement of the winner was illegal citing un corroborating claims by the commission’s vice chairperson, Juliana Cherera and the chairperson’s failure to validate the figures provided contrary to Article, 81(e) ,(iv)and(v) of the constitution of Kenya.
“The figures announced by Chebukati are null and void and must be couched by a court of law,” said Odinga . “In our view there is neither a legally, validly declared winner nor a president-elect,”he added.
Chebukati on Monday declared William Ruto as Kenya’s president-elect with over 7.1 million votes, while Odinga trailed in at 6.9 million.
Towards the announcement of the presidential election results, the vice chair of the commission Juliana Cherera addressed a presser disputing the election results.
“This summation gives us a total of 100.01 percent. The 0.01 percent translates to approximately 142,000 votes which will make a significant difference in the final results,” said Cherera . “We, therefore, decline to take ownership of the said results because the aggregation resulted in a total exceeding the percentage of 100 which cast doubt on the accuracy of the source of figures.”she asserted.
Further, Odinga said the head of the electoral commission, Wafula Chebukati, acted in deviation of the constitution. The former prime minister called for calm among his supporters but pledged to salvage their constitutional rights through legal means.
“I want to commend our supporters for remaining calm and keeping the peace and urge them to continue to do so. Let no one take the law into their own hands,” Odinga said. “We are passing through lawful and constitutional processes to invalidate Mr. Chebukati’s illegal and unconstitutional pronouncement. We are certain that justice will prevail.”
The commission cardinal role in upholding artical 81 of the constitution of Kenya is to ensure that the election process is transparent, administered in an impartial, neutral, efficient, accurate and accountable manner.
According to Martin Oloo, an advocate of the high court of Kenya, the Chairperson of the Independent Electral And Boundaries Commission of Kenya broke the law.
Odinga has until Sunday to lodge his case at the Supreme Court, which could take up to two weeks to give a final verdict.
Full statement here; https://rao.co.ke/statement-on-elections-held-on-9th-august-2022/
About The Author
