The presidential election petition challenging the outcome of Kenya’s August 9 presidential poll results has started.
The full hearing opened on Wednesday with lawyers representing opposition presidential candidates Raila Odinga first presenting their case.
The lawyers are seeking to nullify the declaration of William Ruto as president-elect. The judges gave them six hours to argue their case.
Mr Ruto’s lawyers and those representing the electoral commission will also have their day on Wednesday to provide their defence.
Kenya’s Supreme Court on Tuesday laid out eight questions it will answer when it rules on the petition. That will include whether the commission’s website was hacked.
Odinga’s legal team is alleging that a team working for Ruto hacked into the election system and replaced genuine pictures of polling station result forms with fake ones but Ruto’s team has denied the allegations.
The election commission has filed competing responses, with three commissioners supporting the process and four questioning it.
The Supreme Court will also decide if the polling station returns were interfered with and whether the postponement of eight gubernatorial and legislative elections disadvantaged any candidate, said Chief Justice Martha Koome, the president of the seven-member court.
The verdict is expected to be out on 5 September with Kenyans keenly following the televised petition hearing.
Meanwhile, scrutiny and recounting of votes in 15 polling stations where the credibility of the final tally was contested is being carried out at the court house.
Source: Africafeeds.com
