Ruto was declared the winner on August 15 amid a split in the electoral commission over the announced result, which showed the deputy president had won 50.5% of the vote, beating long-time opposition leader Raila Odinga and narrowly edging out the runner-up round. More than half of the commissioners disavowed the vote, calling the process “opaque,” and Odinga took the case to court, alleging fraud, voter suppression and impunity by the commission chairman, who he claimed acted unilaterally. It was Odinga’s fifth and likely last attempt at the presidency. The court ruled that there was no credible evidence of fraud, interference or failure of the electoral college’s technology. He ruled that there were valid reasons for postponing governorship elections in some areas (some of which were considered Odinga strongholds) and that there were no grounds to conclude that the postponement had affected voter turnout. He said all election commissioners were involved in the process until shortly before the results were announced and there was no evidence that the process was “opaque” in a way that compromised the outcome. “We declare that the election of the president-elect is valid,” Martha Koum, the chief justice, said in a televised ruling. The ruling comes after a nearly two-week hiatus as the country awaited a court ruling on the disputed election. Ruto will take over the reins of the East African powerhouse from outgoing president Uhuru Kenyatta. Kenyatta had backed Odinga’s bid, over his second in command, after they fell out in their second term. Kenyatta has respected adverse court rulings in the past – including the annulment of his first victory in 2017 after a botched election in 2017 – and is expected to hand over power to his deputy in the coming weeks. While Ruto’s victory is seen as ending a long presidency by powerful dynasties, the new leader’s ultra-religious, conservative stance and poor human rights record have raised some public concerns. Ruto was indicted at the international criminal court for crimes against humanity following the country’s 2007 post-election violence, but the case was dropped amid allegations of political interference and an environmental judge described as “hostile” to the prosecution and its witnesses. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. But for many, the most immediate concerns were at the forefront of the election. The president-elect takes office at an economically turbulent time for Kenya and will begin his term amid high expectations among the country’s poor, widely believed to have propelled him to power. Odinga still has strong public support, having won 48.8% of the vote, and many hope he can return to his role as a major opposition figure.
