Nairobi — The long-awaited presidential petition verdict will be delivered by the Supreme Court at 12pm.
This follows hearings of the consolidated petition seeking to have President-Elect William Ruto’s victory nullified.
“Take notice that the judgment will be delivered at 12pm at the Supreme Court Milimani Law Courts,” said Supreme Court Registrar Letizia Wachira.
Azimio Presidential candidate Raila Odinga filed the main petition, with eight other surrogate petitions-all seeking the nullification of Ruto’s win following the August 9 election.
Odinga accuses the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of manipulating the final results to favour Ruto but the electoral commission denies the allegation, insisting it was free, fair and verifiable.
It is the third time since its creation under Kenya’s 2010 constitution that the court has been called upon to adjudicate on election disputes.
The seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice Martha Koome held several days of hearings last week to consider the petitions.
Odinga has described the results of the vote — which showed him losing by a margin of less than two percentage points — and its handling by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) as a “travesty”.
– ‘The final arbiter’ –
The Supreme Court is the highest in the land, established “as the final arbiter and interpreter of the constitution”.
Its rulings are final and binding.
The court comprises a president, vice president and five other judges. They are officially appointed by the head of state, although he does not have the power to choose them.
Instead, candidates’ names are submitted to the presidency for approval after an open nomination process and public hearings, some televised, held by the judiciary.
The Supreme Court was established to rule on decisions by appeal courts regarding the law or interpretation of the constitution and is the only court permitted to adjudicate in election disputes.
Additional reporting by AFP