Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta, said last Friday that he disagreed with a Supreme Court decision nullifying his re-election and calling for fresh elections, but said he will respect it.
“I personally disagree with the ruling that has been made today but I respect it,” he said, adding that he believed the six judges had “decided that they will go against the will of the people.”
Kenya’s Supreme Court on Friday, in its ruling, ordered a new presidential election within 60 days, after a shock ruling cancelling the results of last month’s poll over widespread irregularities.
According to Chief Justice David Maraga, a majority decision by the panel of six judges, with two dissenting, found that President Uhuru Kenyatta “was not validly elected”, rendering the result “invalid, null and void”.
Supporters of veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga’s wept and cheered, utterly stunned at what they saw as a historic justice rendered after losses in successive polls they believe were rigged, from a judiciary long seen as compromised in favour of the ruling elite.
Odinga, 72, hailed a “historic” ruling which he said was a first in Africa.
Maraga said the election commission (IEBC) had “failed, neglected or refused to conduct the presidential election in a manner consistent with the dictates of the constitution”.
Kenyatta accepted the court’s decision, and urged Kenyans to remain peaceful.
“Millions of Kenyans made their choice but six people have decided that they will go against the will of the people,” he said. “I personally disagree with the ruling that has been made today but I respect it.”
The run-up to the August 8 election was marred by the murder of top IEBC IT official Chris Msando and opposition allegations that rigging was certain.
The court’s full ruling must be available within 21 days.
Odinga said he no longer had faith in the current election commission and called for them to step down.
IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati refused to resign, saying he had not been implicated in any wrongdoing personally, but vowed “internal changes to our personnel”. He called for those guilty of wrongdoing to be prosecuted.
