On Monday, August 22, opposition leader Raila Odinga officially filed a presidential petition at the Supreme Court seeking to invalidate the election of William Ruto as the fifth president-elect.
In their 72-page petition, Raila and his running mate and co-petitioner Martha Karua listed 23 grounds among them that none of the four presidential candidates achieved the 50 percent plus one vote threshold.
They also wanted an order for scrutiny and forensic audit of the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (Kiems) kits, IEBC website, and portal, and the returns of the presidential election, including Forms 34A, 34B, and 34C.
In addition, in order for the invalidation of Ruto’s election, Raila wanted the IEBC to be compelled to organize a fresh presidential election in strict conformity with the Constitution and Elections Act.
In their verdict released on Monday, September 5, the Supreme Court dismissed all the nine grounds they had broadly framed as the issues for determination in the election petitions filed by Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party presidential candidate Raila Odinga and six others.
The seven judges cited lack of evidence and forgery of documents as some of the reasons that moved them to unanimously dismiss the petitions challenging the election of William Ruto as President.
As such, it has emerged that Raila Odinga’s presidential petition for the August 9, elections cost Kenyans a whooping KSh 90.6 million during the two weeks of hearing and determination of the case.
The 2022 Post-Election Economic and Fiscal Report released by the National Treasury revealed that the Judiciary spent KSh 21.9 million bench-making judges of the Apex Court.
The report further revealed that another KSh KSh 9.3 million was spent on renovations and upscaling of the main courtroom for Supreme Court.
Further, the judiciary spent KSh 4.2 million to facilitate officials and judges that attended the swearing-in of President Ruto and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. During the half-a-day swearing-in, the judiciary spent a whooping KSh 9.5 million to administer the oath of office for the President and his deputy making the country’s election the most expensive in East Africa.
