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The Supreme Court completed successfully the victory of William Ruto as the President of Kenya

By Basanda Nsimbyi Oswald

Kenya's Supreme Court has ruled that William Ruto's victory in last month's presidential election invalidated his rival Raila Odinga's claim that the vote was marred by fraud and irregularities. Jurors found no evidence of fraud.

The seven member tribunal found that there was no significant difference in votes and there was no evidence that the election commission's computer system and transmission network had failed.

Martha Koome, the President of the Supreme Court, on September 5, 2022 said that in the annulment decision issued in Nairobi, it was said that some people were prevented from voting or that the ballot box was damaged.

Kenya's Supreme Court has upheld President William Ruto's victory over his running mate Raila Odinga, who had filed fraud allegations against the opposition leader.

Odinga, shortly after the verdict was read, tweeted that he would respect the decision even though he strongly disagreed with it, allaying fears that Kenya would experience a repeat of the violence that followed the disputed votes in 2007 and 2017.

Some citizens and anti-corruption campaigners, including some who had supported Odinga, welcomed the decision, saying it strengthened the court's independence.

"This decision is good for the judiciary. The outcome of the election is bad for Kenya. Two things can be true at the same time," author Nanjala Nyabola wrote on Twitter.

There were no immediate signs of protests in Odinga's stronghold in Kisumu or in the smaller Nairobi suburbs that traditionally support the politician.

"There is nothing we can do, the case has been made," said Geoffrey Omondi, a 33-year-old electrical engineer who supported Odinga.

Ruto's supporters happily danced and waved flags in celebration of his party's yellow and green colors.

The Kenyan presidential election was held on August 9, 2022, where William Ruto was in a tough fight with his partner, Raila Odinga, but the victory was won by Ruto, who represented the 2 largest political parties in Kenya.

Chief Justice Martha Koome, presiding over the seven-judge bench, said, "This court upheld the election of the first respondent (William Ruto) as president elect."

Such allegations of fraud have fueled electoral violence, often along ethnic lines.

Raila Odinga and others had alleged widespread fraud, including the falsification of documents obtained. President elect Ruto won 50.5% of the vote, and the 55-year-old will be sworn in as the country's fifth President next week.

Martha Koome, on behalf of seven jurors, said there was no substantial evidence that the electronic transmission was tampered with by a man-in-the-middle. Ms Koome said Ruto met the constitutional requirement of 50% + 1 vote.

The decision ends the long-running electoral dispute that began after the elections ended last month.

Odinga's team used dissidents from four of the seven electoral commissioners, who rejected the election results because they disagreed with the leader, to bolster his case.

The court, while observing the "malfunctioning" of the Internal Affairs Commission, said "Should we discard the results of the election based on a last-minute board meeting, whose information is limited?".

Judges have reprimanded lawyers and petitioners for filing false documents in court, a reprimand meant to prevent illegal filings.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has been a supporter of Odinga, is expected to address Kenyans soon. Raila Odinga has now been defeated five times.

Odinga at 77 years old, it is difficult to see how he will campaign again or whether he will continue to be active in opposition politics, although in his words he rejected the decision of the Supreme Court, he says that he will continue the fight for transparency and democracy.

Outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has worked hard to find a deputy to replace him, no one knows what their relationship will be like in the future.

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