Raila Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja Coalition has filed a petition at the Supreme Court of Kenya to challenge the election of Dr. William Ruto as president.
Odinga’s petition is his only redress regarding the presidential results declared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati on Monday last week.
His legal team will serve respondents within one day, who will then be expected to file their responses within four days for the case to be heard and determined by September 4, 2022.
The petition is expected to set a riveting political duel between President-elect Dr. William Ruto and Odinga whose future in Kenya politics is now blurry.
The veteran opposition politician has now lost presidency five times and might be thrown into retirement if his case is dismissed.
But Odinga’s key sycophants including his running mate Martha Karua and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka have asserted that they must win at the Supreme Court to prove to the world that their victory in August 9 vote was not lost but deferred.
The opposition figure who was backed by the outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta wants the Supreme Court to tally the votes of the presidential election results afresh and declare him the winner.
He claims that presidential results in Ruto strongholds of Mt Kenya and Rift Valley were manipulated in Forms 34A, inflated and that the figures posted on the IEBC portal are also fake.
Nothing has changed in his legal team, it has the obvious faces of James Orengo, Otiende Amallo and Dan Maanza that lost BBI case three times.
Odinga’s petition has listed the IEBC, Wafula Chebukati, President Elect Dr. William Ruto, and his running mate, Rigathi Gachagua as respondents.
All presidential elections that Odinga has participated and lost in have triggered a dispute as he cries over stolen victory. The Supreme Court judges have14 days to issue a ruling that will determine the ODM leader’s fate.
Odinga is hoping that the court will announce him the winner while the best that happen to him is an annulment and an order of a new vote within 60 days.
But his case is not tight enough to warrant him being declared the winner or any annulment . The manner in which the four renegade commissioners conducted themselves during the general elections raise more questions than answers as far Odinga’s case is concerned..
The four who were controversially appointed by the Azimio chairman acted like they were planted to cause divisions in the commission or to rig the elections in favor of Odinga.
Odinga has since praised the four commissioners and described them as true patriots while Ruto praised Chebukati as a patriotic citizen who stood by the right results despite assaults and intimidation
IEBC went into the 2022 elections while under heavy pressure to deliver a clean vote and they achieved their goal by delivering an election which was lauded as the most transparent ever.
Election observer groups drawn from across the African continent commended IEBC for conducting the election in professional manner on August 9 and subsequent transmission of results especially in the presidential race.
The East African Community (EAC) Election Observation Mission (EOM) team led by former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete stated that IEBC ran a free and fair election.
H.E Kikwete praised the commission for the use of technology in voter registration, identification and transmission of results which was efficient and transparent.
The former Tanzanian leader said that the EAC-EOM is satisfied with the way the 2022 Kenyan General Election was conducted.
“The security personnel were present in the polling stations and they were professional in exercising their duties and they did not interfere with the electoral process nor intimidate voters and we therefore commend the National Police Service for a job well done and urge them to continue the same even after the elections,” said Kikwete.
Odinga’s legal team will be at task to convince the court that Chebukati needed all the commissioners around him to announce the presidential results.
Mr. Chebukati has dismissed Odinga allegations, insisting that he carried out his duties with strict adherence to the law of the land despite “intimidation and harassment” from the Azimio outfit. Politician allied to Odinga including Senator James Orengo, Narok Senator Ledma Olekina attacked and assaulted the IEBC Chairman and other two commissioners in full glare of the cameras.
While declaring the presidential results Mr Chebukati also announced that two of his colleagues were injured in the fracas and were receiving treatment at the hospital.
If Dr. Ruto’s victory is upheld, he will become Kenya’s fifth president since independence and the first one to win in his first attempt. The 78 year old Odinga will then be forced to retire into political colds as Dr. Ruto will be inhering a debt ridden economy, surging inflation, high unemployment and hunger from Mr. Kenyatta.
