Runner-up in Kenyan vote files lawsuit challenging outcome

Bloomberg

Raila Odinga, who narrowly lost Kenya’s August 9 presidential elections, filed a lawsuit challenging the outcome after alleging that the process had been marred by rigging and counting irregularities.
None of the candidates garnered the outright majority of valid votes cast needed for victory, according to a 72-page petition filed with the Supreme Court. Based on this and other grounds, Odinga asked the court to nullify the election results and order a fresh vote.
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chairman Wafula Chebukati last week declared William Ruto president-elect. He obtained 50.5% of the valid votes cast and Odinga 48.9%.
Under Kenya’s constitution, the court must make a ruling within 14 days of the filing of the petition. If it nullifies the vote, as it did in 2017, another election must be held within 60 days.
While a group of 5,000 local observers said the results were in line with its own parallel tallies, four of the electoral panel’s seven commissioners distanced themselves from the outcome, citing a lack of transparency.
A lengthy delay in appointing Uhuru Kenyatta’s successor poses a risk to political stability in East Africa’s largest economy, where previous disputed elections have been dogged by violence — a problem that’s largely been avoided this time around.
Computations based on the number of people who turned up to vote and other data showed Ruto “did not attain the mandatory constitutional threshold,” according to the petition papers. The result declared is therefore “inaccurate, illegal, invalid and null and void,” they said.
The election is the fourth in a row to be challenged. The Supreme Court nullified Kenyatta’s win in 2017, saying the electoral agency “failed, neglected or refused to conduct the presidential election in a manner consistent with the dictates of the constitution.” Kenyatta won the rerun after Odinga, who won the petition, boycotted it, saying conditions weren’t in place for a fair vote.
Yields on Kenya 2027 bonds jumped 37 basis points to 13.1% , while those on its 2024 notes climbed 52 basis points to 15.6% by 4:33 p.m in Nairobi. The Kenyan shilling fell to a record low of 120.23 against the dollar, before rebounding to 119.78.