Kenya election 2022: Supreme Court confirms William Ruto’s victory against Raila Odinga
Kenya’s Supreme Court has ruled that William Ruto was properly elected president, dismissing several petitions seeking to annul the result of the 9 August election.
His rival, Raila Odinga, and others had alleged there had been massive fraud.
But in a scathing ruling, the judges said some of the petitioners had falsified evidence.
Ruto garnered 50.5% of the vote in the closely fought election against 48.8% for Odinga.
The 55-year-old will be sworn in as the country’s fifth president next week.
Following the ruling, Ruto said he would extend a hand of friendship to his political opponents, and praised the judiciary and the electoral commission for upholding the “will of the people”.
But Ruto said he would be speaking to both men shortly and promised that his government would look after them in retirement.
“We are not enemies, we are Kenyans. Let us unite to make Kenya a nation of which everyone shall be proud to call home,” he said.
In a recorded message, Kenyatta congratulated the leaders who had been elected in the general elections but didn’t mention Ruto by name.
The president, who has clashed with the judiciary several times in the past, expressed his misgivings about the Supreme Court ruling but said he would abide by it.
Agencies