Veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga on Monday challenged Kenya’s presidential election results in the Supreme Court and alleged the tally had involved “criminality”, sharpening a political contest gripping East Africa’s powerhouse.
In the petition, Odinga asks the court to nullify the vote’s outcome on several grounds, including a mismatch between the turnout figures and the result, and alleges the election commission failed to tally ballots from 27 constituencies, rendering the result unverifiable and unaccountable.
“We have enough evidence to prove all of the criminality that occurred. We are confident that in the end, the truth will be revealed,” Odinga told a news conference after the filing.
This is Odinga’s fifth stab at the presidency; he blamed several previous losses on rigging. Those disputes triggered violence that claimed more than 100 lives in 2017 and more than 1,200 lives in 2007.
Last week the election commissioner declared Odinga’s rival, Deputy President William Ruto, had won the Aug. 9 election by a slim margin, but four out of seven election commissioners dissented, saying the tallying of results had not been transparent.
The commission, its chairman and Ruto have four days to respond to Odinga’s claims through court filings. Last week Odinga said the results were a “travesty” but said he would settle the dispute in court and urged supporters to remain peaceful.
His supporters have said the results were the outcome of intentional fraud by election authorities. The election commission has denied any wrongdoing.
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