Just who might have come off worse in Supreme Court ruling?
So who exactly risks big time loss from landmark Supreme Court’s ruling that nullified President Uhuru Kenyatta’s win?
Here are the five likeliest losers from the ruling:
1. President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto – By all accounts, these two are the worst hit. Sample their body language for instance. They have been breathing fire and spitting venom. Not even the Judiciary has been spared. In the bigger picture, the Presidency had invested alot of time and resources and the two politicians looked all set to reclaim the seats, before the ruling happened.
Also, DP Ruto is positioning himself to succeed President Kenyatta in five years’ time, an ambition that could be jeopardized if they fail to win the fresh polls.
2. Jubilee supporters – And there are quite a number. Most of them had already called victory for President Kenyatta. But they will now have to prepare for a rematch. It is a battle they have begrudgingly accepted to be part of. Time will tell how this one turns out.
3. Election observers – They include some prominent personalities, including former US Secretary of State John Kerry and former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki. These two were among those who gave the August election a clean bill of health. The Supreme Court now says that wasn’t the case, prompting a backlash on social media from a section of Kenyans.
4. School children – Now, the next election is tentatively planned for either October 31 or November 1. These dates had also been set for the candidates in primary and secondary schools to write their national examinations. Worse, the schools are supposed to close on November 6. Thereafter, most schools are used as venues for marking national exams.
On the other hand, schools form a crucial cog of the electioneering process, from campaigns and as venues for polling stations. On this evidence, something will have to give. I suspect its the former which isn’t very good news for the learners considering learning was had already been disrupted by a 100-plus days of teachers’ strike.
5. IEBC – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s integrity has been questioned by the court of public opinion following the Supreme Court ruling. The IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati has indicated he will make changes to the commission before the next elections. Meanwhile, the president and his deputy have publicly backed the IEBC, which automatically leaves the opposition and their supporters with raised eyebrows.
