Unic Press UK: A petition has been filed in Kenya’s Supreme Court against the presidential election rerun on 26th October 2017, thereby challenging the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) results that declared President Uhuru Kenyatta as the winner. It was filed Monday by Harun Mwau, a former lawmaker.
The first election, which was held in August 2017, was annulled by the Kenyan Supreme Court over procedural irregularities – non compliance with the electoral law by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
The election rerun, which was conducted in October 2017, was marred by violence, brutality of security forces and an opposition boycott; marked by a very low turnout of voters – 38.8% of the eligible voters – when compared to the initial election of August 2017 in which circa 80% of the 19.6 million registered voters participated.
The journalists in this polling station were more than the voters😂 @DrAlfredMutua 'S PR didn't work this time #ElectionBoycottKE #kenyapoll pic.twitter.com/IbKrodFDfV
— Denis Otundo (@denotundo) October 26, 2017
The incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta is seeking a second term of office as president in a contest that was marred by tensions, killings, brutality of Kenyan security forces.
Raila Odinga, leader of the main opposition, withdrew from the election rerun that was held last month, insisting that the electoral body had a duty to implement reforms to address the lapses that occurred during the first ballot on August 2017.
On 17th October 2017, a high-ranking official at Kenya’s electoral commission, Roselyn Akombe, reigned. She’s of the view that the Kenyan 2017 presidential election rerun would not be credible.
In a Press Statement in New York on 17th October 2017, Akombe, who used to be an election commissioner in Kenya, said:
“… I have questioned my role as a Commissioner at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. But I have soldiered on hoping that we could collectively find a way of addressing the crisis our country faces today… It broke my heart in the last few days, to listen to my staff in the field, majority of whom truly want to do the right thing, express to me their safety and security concerns. We need the Commission to be courageous to speak out that this election as planned cannot meet the basic expectation of a CREDIBLE election… Not when commissioners and staff are intimidated by political actors and protesters and fear for their lives. “
