Read < 1minutePresident Uhuru Kenyatta, left, celebrated with Deputy President William Ruto on Friday. Reuters
Uhuru Kenyatta is set to be sworn in on November 28 after the Supreme Court on Monday upheld his win in the presidential election rerun held last month.
Chief Justice David Maraga said the court dismissed two legal challenges to the vote in a unanimous decision by six judges.
“As a consequence, the presidential election of 26th of October is hereby upheld,” he said.
The petitioners had argued, amongst other reasons, that the outcome should be voided because the election board did not seek fresh nominations after the earlier August 8 poll was invalidated, and because the vote was not held in each of Kenya’s 291 voter constituencies, Reuters reports.
The Supreme Court annulled the August presidential election calling for a rerun in October.
The court, created by a 2010 constitution that followed a violent political crisis three years earlier, made history on the continent when it nullified Kenyatta’s win in August elections, citing irregularities.
Odinga successfully petitioned against Kenyatta’s initial victory in the August 8 vote and subsequently boycotted the repeat poll on October 26, saying it would be unfair because the election commission had failed to implement reforms.
Monday’s ruling clears the way for Kenyatta’s swearing in next week.
