William Ruto was declared the winner of the presidential election on August 9 by Kenya’s top court on Monday, rejecting petitions that sought to overturn the outcome.
His opponent, 77-year-old Raila Odinga, said the election held last month was riddled with widespread fraud, calling it a “huge setback” for democracy in the nation of East Africa.
Ruto garnered 7.18 million votes, or 50.49% of the total, in the tightly contested election, and Chief Justice Martha Koome, who presided over a 7-member judicial panel, declared that he was legitimately elected president. In contrast, Odinga received 48.85% of the vote, or nearly 6.94 million.
The Independent Election and Boundaries Commission, the nation’s electoral commission, used technology, according to the petitioners, but the court said it is not persuaded that this technology violated legal requirements.
The Supreme Court ruled that there was no convincing proof that voting forms were viewed and altered before being posted to the electoral commission’s systems.
A complete ruling would be delivered in three weeks, according to the top justice.
Next Monday, Ruto, 55, will take the oath of office as the fifth president of the nation.
