SM | POLITICS
KENYA SUPREME COURT NULLIFIES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
NAIROBI , Kenya — In a historic ruling and a first in Africa , Kenya ' s Supreme Court nullified on Friday the re-election of a sitting president , ordering a new vote to be held within 60 days after finding that the outcome last month had been tainted by irregularities .
BY KIMIKO TAMURA
It was a stunning moment for Kenya , one of Africa ' s most populous nations , and for democracy in general . Kenya ' s disputed presidential election in 2007 set off bloodshed that left at least 1,300 people dead and 600,000 displaced around the country .
But this time , figures across the Kenyan political landscape , including the president whose victory was wiped away , appeared to accept the decision and called on supporters to do the same .
The ruling also offered a potent display of judicial independence on a continent where courts often come under intense pressure from political leaders , analysts said .
“ It ' s a historic moment showing the fortitude and courage of the Kenyan judiciary ,” said Dickson Omondi , a country director for the National Democratic Institute , a nonpartisan organization that supports democratic institutions and practices worldwide .
He said it was the first example in Africa in which a court nullified the re-election of an incumbent .
The election on Aug . 8 was conducted peacefully and was largely praised by international observers . But David Maraga , the court ' s chief justice , declared the result “ invalid , null and void ” after siding with the opposition , which had argued that the vote had been electronically manipulated to assure a victory for President Uhuru Kenyatta .
Mr . Kenyatta , 55 , had been re-elected with 54 percent of the vote , easily surpassing the 50 percent threshold needed to avoid a runoff . His main challenger , Raila Odinga , 72 , who petitioned the Supreme Court to nullify the election , had received about 44 percent , a difference of about 1.4 million votes . A parallel tally by domestic observers endorsed the official result .
Supporters of Mr . Odinga celebrating the court decision in Nairobi .
18 | NOV . 2017