Raila: Supreme Court vital for securing peace in Kenya
As the hearing of a petition challenging Dr William Ruto’s election victory, Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya Coalition party presidential candidate Raila Odinga has said the Supreme Court of Kenya is vital in securing peace in the country.
This comes even as Mr Odinga’s lawyers, led by the Senior Counsel James Orengo, concluded their submission on the first day of the hearing process challenging Dr William Ruto’s election victory.
On Wednesday, Mr Odinga was following the proceedings at the Supreme Court from the comfort of his home in Nairobi.
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In his submission, Orengo, who is also the Siaya County Governor, said Dr Ruto did not attain the constitutional threshold of 50 per cent plus one vote to be declared the president-elect.
Julie Soweto, who is also part of Mr Odinga’s legal team, said copies of 41 forms 34A from Bomet, Kiambu, and Kakamega counties given to agents differ from what was being displayed in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) portal and what was submitted at the national tallying centre.
She said that 4,463 votes were deducted from Mr Odinga and added to Dr Ruto in Bomet, Kiambu, Kakamega, Nairobi and Baringo counties.
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In his submission, Philip Murgor informed the court that the technology deployed by the electoral commission failed the standards of security and transparency. He also said that IEBC’s server was manipulated, and tainted to the point that the results declared by the electoral commission chairperson Wafula Chebukati cannot be said to be a demonstration of the true will of the people.
Mr Odinga’s team was given three hours to defend their petition seeking to nullify the declaration of Dr Ruto as the President-elect.
At the same time, 15 ballot boxes were brought to the court’s sub registry for recount as directed by the Chief Justice Martha Koome during the Pre-Trial conference on Tuesday. The Supreme Court will deliver its verdict on the case no September 5.