The Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has congratulated the president-elect of Kenya, William Ruto, having emerged victorious over an election petition against him by his main rival Raila Odinga.
In a terse statement on Facebook, Bawumia prayed for God’s continuous guidance for Ruto as he takes over as the President of Kenya.
“I congratulate Vice President of the Republic of Kenya, William Samoei Ruto, on being affirmed by the Supreme Court of Kenya as the President-elect of the country,” Bawumia posted.
“All the best as you take over the baton to serve your beloved Kenya. May God continue to guide your steps,” he added.
Ruling
Meanwhile, Kenya’s Supreme Court has ruled that William Ruto was properly elected president, dismissing several petitions seeking to annul the 9 August election result.
His rival, Raila Odinga, and others had alleged that massive fraud, including tampering with results forms, had taken place.
Ruto garnered 50.5% of the vote in the closely fought election.
The 55-year-old will be sworn in as the country’s fifth president next week.
The eight petitions challenging the elections were all dismissed. The court found some were based on forged documents and “sensational information”, Chief Justice Martha Koome said in a unanimous decision on behalf of the seven judges.
No credible evidence that the electronic voting transmission system was tampered with by ” a middle man” was given, she said.
Koome also said that Mr Ruto had met the constitutional threshold of garnering 50%+1 of votes cast.
The ruling ends a protracted election dispute that started after polls closed last month.
Odinga’s team had used the dissent of four of the seven electoral commissioners – who disowned the poll results because they had fallen out with the chairman – to bolster his case.
But the court, while noting the “dysfunction” of the commission in managing its internal affairs, said it was not convinced that the claims of the chairman running a one-man show was enough to undermine the election.
“Are we to nullify the outcome of an election on the basis of a last-minute boardroom rupture whose details remain scanty?” the judges asked.
Fred Dzakpata
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