Defeated Kenyan Presidential candidate Raila Odinga has filed a formal appeal against Uhuru Kenyatta’s at the country’s Supreme Court challenging the credibility of the election results.
Mr. Kenyatta beat Mr. Odinga comfortably by 50.07% to 43.28% on 4 March, avoiding a run-off which all international observer mission described as a successful and credible in the history of the country.
But Mr. Odinga has accused the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission IEBC of manipulating the result in favor of Mr. Kenyatta.
The presidential, legislative and municipal elections held 12 days ago were the first since the 2007 poll which set off ethnic and political violence in which more than 1,200 people were killed.
Lawyers for Mr. Odinga said their petition to the Supreme Court included allegations of vote manipulation, as well as problems with the registration of voters and an electronic vote counting system.
“I have no hesitation whatsoever in lawfully challenging the election outcome, these failures dwarf anything Kenyans have ever witnessed in any previous election,” Mr. Odinga told reporters outside his offices in Nairobi.
“We cannot begin what is supposed to be a new era under a new constitution in the same old ways,” he added, referring to the charter adopted in 2010.
He however appealed to his supporters not to use violence as the party battle the case out at the law court.
Hundreds of his supporters were demonstrating outside the Supreme Court building when the case was being filed but police used tear gas to disperse them.
In his acceptance speech last Saturday, President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta described the election as “free and fair” and a “triumph of democracy”.
He urged all Kenyans to unite and work with one heart and patriotism in order to move the country forward to better the people’s life.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has also insisted that the vote was credible and that it is ready for any legal scrutiny at the law court.
International observers said the election was largely free, fair and credible, and that the electoral commission had conducted its business in an open and transparent manner.
Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News
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