NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 20 – Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Alliance presidential candidate Raila Odinga has termed the outcome of the presidential election as a ‘joke’ and criticized the celebrations in the country over William Ruto’s status as President-Elect.
During a meeting with religious leaders who paid him a courtesy call at his Karen home, Odinga argued that given the division and misunderstanding within the electoral commission it was clear that the verification and tallying were marred with malpractices.
“We ran this race until the finising point and now one team of the referees are saying this candidate has won while the other side is saying that other candidate has won,” he said, “It doesn’t make sense at all. This is shameful and it shows that our democracy has a long way to go.”
He said Ruto’s celebrations is premature because there is a legal process ahead at the Supreme Court.
“At this time, nobody can say that we have a winner. I hear people say that we have a president-elect. If we haven’t heard the unanimous decision from all the 7 IEBC Commissioners, then this is shameful,” Odinga told journalists after meeting the religious leaders.
The Azimio La Umoja One Kenya flagbearer exuded confidence that the Supreme Court will accord him justice as they seek to lodge a petition to invalidate the declarations of the results as announced by the commission Chairman Wafula Chebukati.
“They can never be peace without truth and justice…we don’t want violence in this country and that’s why we will be lodging a case at the Supreme Court with our evidence to show that it was a joke and not an election,” Odinga said.
Anyone aggrieved with the presidential results announced on August 15 by IEBC has until Monday to file a petition at the Supreme Court.
Sources within Raila’s Azimio coalition have indicated that a petition will be filed on Monday.
This petition must be heard and determined within 14 days from the day it is filed, and if it is dismissed Ruto will be sworn in as Kenya’s 5th president but if it is upheld, the court will order for a repeat election.
No presidential poll outcome has gone uncontested in Kenya since 2002, and Odinga says he was already cheated of victory in the 2007, 2013 and 2017 elections.
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