Kenya today, by order of the Supreme Court declared the results of the 8th August general elections as invalid, citing inconsistencies as the main reason for the judgment and becoming the first African country to annul the results of an incumbent’s election.
This follows a series of protests from opposition candidate Raila Odinga and his supporters after the incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta was confirmed as the winner of the poll with 1.4 million votes.
There were concerns raised also about how results were transferred from main centres to constituencies and then to the national headquarters. Some of the election papers were allegedly photocopied with some having fake stamps while some watermarks were missing.
Solomon Mugera, Regional editor, BBC Africa, in an interview described this development as historic, stating it as the first to happen on the continent.
“Historic because, not just in Kenya but across Africa, the election of an incumbent has never been nullified by the court, this is the first,” he said.
He added that the ruling being new to Kenyans has left them uncertain because the two bodies in the country, the Presidency and the IEBC, that were supposed to be trustworthy were all implicated in the election petition leaving them with doubts.
“Kenya is in uncharted waters because the ruling against the election of President Uhuru Kenyatta was based on electoral malpractice. The danger is this, the electoral commissioner also being implicated in these malpractices. So who will preside this reelection,” he explained.
The ruling which was declared today has since been greeted with massive jubilation from the opposition supporters, responses from the actors involved and various opinions from people all over the world.
The country is expected to organize a reelection within 60 days per the Supreme Court.
Please view below some responses from the key actors involved
The Courts did not cast aspersions on the voting and counting of votes. The Commission will investigate any election offenses pic.twitter.com/EAxW6TfnR4
— IEBC (@IEBCKenya) September 1, 2017
Post Petition judgment Press conference https://t.co/r4oa1zL6bJ
— Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) September 1, 2017
We do not agree with the ruling but we respect the decision of the court. pic.twitter.com/OF5Y6ahsPR
— Uhuru Kenyatta (@UKenyatta) September 1, 2017
My primary message today to every single Kenyan is peace. Let us be people of peace. pic.twitter.com/GlD2agKgYJ
— Uhuru Kenyatta (@UKenyatta) September 1, 2017
Address to the nation https://t.co/qDdDqacmOr
— Uhuru Kenyatta (@UKenyatta) September 1, 2017
