Kenya’s Supreme Court is in its last day of hearing arguments on two petitions contesting results of the October 26 presidential election. Incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared winner by a landslide after challenger Raila Odinga urged his supporters to boycott the poll, which was a re-run of the August election the court declared invalid. The two petitions were filed by a former lawmaker, Harun Mwau, and two human rights defenders, Njonjo Mue and Khalef Khalifa. The petitioners argued the electoral commission committed illegalities by going ahead with the election in spite of opposition leader Raila Odinga pulling out of the race.
Benjamin Musyoki, who represents Mwau, argues the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission was supposed to carry out a new nomination process after the annulment of the original August 8 poll.
“When elections are annulled under article 140, none of the previous candidates, none of the previous processes is safe. All processes are done away with, and actually, in your order, you said that election was null and void. So it is like it did not exist.”
Mwau also argued the election should be revoked based on the violence witnessed in parts of the country and low voter turnout.
Full Article: Kenya Supreme Court Hears Challenges to Election Re-run.
