Africa, Foreign
NAIROBI, Sept 5 (Reuters) – Kenya’s Supreme Court on Monday upheld the Aug. 9 election of William Ruto as president in a unanimous decision, Chief Justice Martha Koome said, throwing out a petition brought by opposition leader Raila Odinga.
“This is a unanimous decision of the court … this court upholds the election of the first respondent (William Ruto) as the president-elect,” Koome, the chief justice and head of the court, said during a televised ruling.
Ruto, 55, who has been serving as outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta’s deputy since 2013, takes the helm of a Western ally in an unstable region, which also hosts the regional headquarters of many global companies and organisations.
While generally stable, Kenya has seen repeated instances of election-related violence, often along ethnic lines.
Ruto will be sworn in as Kenya’s fifth president at a time when the East African nation faces several challenges including billions of dollars in loans and the soaring costs of basic commodities such as food and fuel.
Culled from REUTERS
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Tags: Chief Justice Martha Koome Raila Odinga Uhuru Kenyatta William Ruto
