Kenya Supreme Court don unanimously uphold di outcome of last month presidential election.
Di Chief Justice, Martha Koome, dismiss all claims by di election loser Raila Odinga and oda petitioners.
Koome say dem fail to prove dia claims.
Inside a strongly worded judgement, di Supreme Court reject di evidence and arguments by di petitioners.
Di court describe am as ‘hot air, red herrings and forgeries.’
Di Chief Justice also warn lawyers wey swear misleading affidavits say dia action go amount to perjury.
On top di four of seven commissioners of di electoral body wey disown di results, di court ask;
“Abe we go nullify di outcome of an election on di basis of a last-minute boardroom rapture wey details remain scanty?”
Di judges find say e go would amount to upsetting di sovereign will of di pipo.
Based on dis outcome President-Elect William Ruto go dey sworn in next Tuesday as prescribed by di constitution.
Dis na Raila Odinga fifth unsuccessful bid to become president, and inside im words, at di age of 77, the final attempt.
Kenya Supreme Court verdict – Full report
Di seven-member court bin adjourn on Friday to consider di judgment afta concluding di three-day hearing of di consolidated petition.
Di defeated candidate Raila Odinga say di vote dey manipulated to give im opponent William Ruto a narrow victory for di tightly contested election.
Lawyers for Oga Ruto and di electoral commission deny di claims.
Dis na di third time Oga Odinga dey challenge election results for di top court.
Ruto and Odinga don tok say dem go respect di decision of di court on di presidential petition.
Judges go base dia ruling on di nine issues wey dey raised for di consolidated alias total petition.
Kenya Supreme court judges arrive at 1200 local time, [0900GMT,1000WAT]. to give verdict for di August presidential election.
Chief Justice Martha Koome dey read short version of di decision.
Argument say technology fail dey rejected
Di judges no dey convinced by claims say technology failed tests of integrity, authentication, security and transparency, di chief justice tok.
Judges dey look into di issue of interference with di results site.
No evidence show say di results system dey tampered wit – Judges rule
Di second issue raised by di petitioners na weda interference bin dey wit di results as dem dey uploaded on di election commission website.
No evidence show say di results system dey tampered wit, di judges tok.
Di chief justice say no evidence dey say anyone bin access di results transmission system to tamper wit di results.
Chief Justice Martha Koome says di Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission [IEBC] adequately explain how di system capture di result forms.
Koome add say di argument unto say integrity of di public website dey compromised dey rejected.
No evidence say di election forms on di online results website dey changed
Chief Justice Martha Koome say no evidence dey to show say election forms for di online results website dey changed from di original published forms.
Judge Koome, criticise some wey submit affidavits, e warn lawyers against submitting misleading or fabricated evidence.
In one case e says di evidence dey found to be “hot air”/false and dem send am to di court on a ‘long circus ride’
Election commission get di power to postpone di election in some areas
Di Supreme Court say dey dey satisfied say di electoral commission get di power to postpone di elections in some parts of di kontri.
Di chief justice say di postponement of some elections no constitute voter suppression or harm Raila Odinga.
Court reject allegations of ballot papers dem stuff into boxes
Not a single document don dey been produced by Raila Odinga team to show say vote stuffing occur in favor of president-elect William Ruto, di chief justice tok.
Di arguement over who get di power to read di results
Kenya Supreme Court don see say di authority to verify and consolidatedi results of di presidential election no dey come from di chairman but from di commission.
Dis na in line with di previous decisions of di court – di chairman no fit give himself di authority to confirm and summarize di results without including odas.
But di judges take into account di fact say di four commissioners wey oppose di final results bin participate for di preliminary review and totalled di results.
Di four commissioners no produce any document showing say di results dey changed and dem no explain why dem participate in die review process wey dem say dey “unclear”, di chief justice says.
But di judges dey critical of di election commission management wey fit create such divisions.
No evidence dey to show say 50+ percent level no reach
Di Supreme Court don five out say plaintiffs [Raila Odinga team] no provide sufficient evidence to overturn di results on di basis say di constitutional threshold of 50% + 1 of outright victory no dey.
Di chief judge say William Ruto get more dan 50% plus one vote.
Security dey tight around di Supreme court area.
Di road leading to di court vicinity dey closed ahead of di judgement.
Lawyers and party representatives also dey di main hall.
Resident of Kisumu, di stronghold of Raila Odinga dey follow di Supreme Court verdict for Manyatta village.
Citizens dey follow di decision wey Kenya Supreme Court dey give.
President Uhuru Kenyatta to address di nation by 3pm.
How Kenya supreme court conclude presidential election petition hearing
Legal teams representing different parties don submit dia oral submissions inside di petition.
During Friday proceedings, lawyers for di petitioners accuse di electoral commission of failing to comply wit orders to open servers for scrutiny.
Judges later take break on Friday to write di judgement ahead of di much-expected verdict on Monday.
Dis mark di end of di tough legal battle for di kontri highest court wia lawyers make dia submissions ontop di petition to di seven-judge bench.
Lawyers representing opposition leader Raila Odinga beg di court to nullify president-elect William Ruto win citing irregularities.
Inside dia reply, lawyers for di respondents wey include oga Ruto and di electoral commission bin put up a spirited defence asking the court to dismiss di case.
Dem say make di court throw away di case unto say no evidence dey provided to prove say di elections bin dey rigged.
Now e go be anxious wait for Kenyans for di ruling wey fit change di east African knontri political landscape.
Wetin analysts tok about di Supreme court verdict
Analysts say unlike oda jurisdictions, e dey difficult to predict how the judges will rule based on dia history, ideology or philosophy.
Legal experts don cite three possible scenarios about di ruling.
Dem say di seven-judge bench fit either uphold di election of president-elect William Ruto, nullify di election and order a re-run.
Or dem fit handover victory to the petitioner, Mr. Odinga.
Monday ruling fit change di kontri political landscape and also offer an opportunity to reform dia electoral laws.
Security tight inside di court premises
Meanwhile, security don dey beefed up inside court domot wit sections of roads closed ahead of di judgment.
Kenya deputy Police chief don advise di public to follow di televised proceedings as di area within di court don dey sealed off.
Time of Supreme Court ruling
Kenya Supreme Court dey expected to deliver dia ruling on di Presidential election petition 2022 on Monday at 1200 local time, [0900GMT,1000WAT].
Di judges go rule either to uphold the IEBC Presidential announcement, declare a return to di ballot or announce a winner in court as per Raila Odinga’s Azimio Coalition’s petition.
If di court uphold di IEBC Declaration den di President Elect go assume Office on di 13 September 2022 (First Tuesday, 7 Days afta di court declare di election valid)
But if di election dey nullified – Fresh Elections go hold within 60 Days.
Key points Odinga submit to challenge Ruto win for Supreme Court
Three weeks agao, Raila Odinga, wey carry second for Kenya presidential election go court on Monday 22 August, 2022 to challenge di August 9 election result, wey e describe as “fraudulent”.
For im 70-page legal argument, Odinga allege say pre-planned effort dey to change di outcome.
According to di electoral commission, oga Odinga take 48.8% of di vote, losing to William Ruto 50.5%.
One independent monitoring organisation say di commission final result dey in line wit im own projection.
However, four of di seven electoral commissioners refuse to endorse di outcome, alleging say di way dem tally di final result no “clear”.
Di seven judges for di Supreme Court get 14 days to rule on di matter.
Crowds of Odinga supporters sing and chant outside di court for di interior part of di capital, Nairobi, as di presidential candidate arrive to deliver di document, along wit dozens of boxes of evidence.
Im legal petition, one of more dan five weu im hand over, describe di alleged attempt to alter di final result as “premeditated, unlawful and criminal”.
Raila Odinga also:
- Call Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson Wafula Chebukati “rogue”
- Allege say e involve for plan to “secure fraudulent result”
- Say oga Ruto dey aware of di plan but e no provide evidence to back am up
- Raise question about di tallying process
- Say dem tamper wit evidence of di results from some polling stations.
- Argue say di voter turnout figure dey manipulated so Mr Ruto no go get to go into a second-round run-off.
Raila Odinga profile
Although Raila Odinga come from one popular family for Kenya, yet di political crown no reach im side throughout im long political career years.
Na just di same way e no reach im papa, wey serve as vice-president afta Kenya gain independence from UK.
At di age of 77, Odinga make im fifth attempt for di presidency for di 9 August elections.
Di closest he get near power na for 2008 wen dem appoint am prime minister.
Mr Odinga get passionate followers and im fans nickname am as “Baba” (Father), “Agwambo” (Act of God) and “Tinga” (Tractor) – wey dem pick from im party symbol for 1997 elections.
E be supporter of England Arsenal football club.
Mr Odinga dey always form new political outfit for every election.
E dey contest dis election under di banner of Azimio la Umoja, Swahili word for Pledge of Unity.
And e dey try win over supporters of outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Di two men wey represent di two biggest political dynasties for Kenya – be fierce rivals for di 2017 election.
But dem make up di following year for one highly publicised event wey pipo label Di Handshake.
Raila Odinga chose former Justice Minister Martha Karua as im running mate.
Dis dey historic as na di first time a presidential front-runner go chose a female deputy.
Together dem ly ticket wey dia campaign team don compare to dat of US President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris.
Afta dem introduce multi-party democracy Odinga repeatedly fail for im attempt to win power, e often dey tok say dem cheat am of victory.
Dis lead to one of di biggest crises for Kenya history, when he dey convinced say then-President Mwai Kibaki tiff di 2007 election.
For di post-election violence wey follow, 1,200 pipo die and more than 500,000 run from dia homes.
Afta mediation tok-tok wey former UN chief Kofi Annan, e collect di post of prime minister for one coalition government.
But im relationship wit Mr Kibaki scata by wetin e cal “supremacy wars”.
For di 2017 election, e lost to Mr Kenyatta for di ballot box, but win for di Supreme Court, wey nullify di result because of di widespread irregularities e bin raise.
Mr Odinga however boycott di re-run, e cite failure to create a level playing field.
Dis pave way for di re-election of Mr Kenyatta, while Mr Odinga – wey dey reputed to be a master strategist and mass mobiliser – declare himself “di people’s president” for one huge rally for di capital, Nairobi.
Im supporters follow im call to boycott di large number of businesses of di Kenyatta family to show dia anger at di president’s re-election.
Dis na just one of many protests dem stage over di decades to show dia political and economic grievances.
Some turn violent, wey lead to di loss of lives and massive disruption to di economy.
William Ruto profile
William Ruto, di winner of Kenya heavily disputed presidential election – get di same childhood wey be like dat of many poor Kenyans.
Ruto go primary school without shoes. E wear im first pair of shoes for di age of 15.
E bin also sell chicken and groundnuts for roadside for rural areas of di Rift Valley.
So e no come as surprise say e show himsef as di champion of di poor as e vie for di presidency for di 9 August election.
Oga Ruto contest under di banner of Kenya Kwanza, Swahili for Kenya First, wit a promise to grow di economy.
Dis na di first shot of di 55-year-old at di presidency and e shock im critics by achieving victory – though in a stunning development.
E join politics in 1992, having been mentored, he tok, by then-President Daniel arap Moi.
Oga Ruto bin dey part of di youth wing of oga Moi once-dominant Kanu party.
And im dey among di activists wey dey tasked wit mobilising voters for di kontri first multi-party elections wey hold for di same year.
William Ruto, wey be Deputy to out-going President Uhuru Kenyatta, get di reputation of being a powerful orator wey dey draw huge crowds for rallies.
And im dey put up strong performance in media interviews.
Ruto dey often start to tok by saying “My friend”, wey dey always help am strike rapport wit voters and disarm critics.
Shifting alliances
By Daniel Semeniworima – Senior Journalist
