NASA Heads to the Supreme Court to Challenge August 8th Results

Opposition leader Raila Odinga yesterday afternoon in his address to the media at the Okoa Kenya Offices in Nairobi, announced his decision to challenge presidential results at the Supreme Courts. The press conference titled ‘Kenyans say no to computer generated leaders” was scheduled for Tuesday 16th August but the Alliance team was still making deliberations. Raila Odinga was accompanied by his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi and other National Super Alliance (NASA) leaders.
Kenyans were awaiting this particular announcement by the opposition leader, which will see senior counsels deployed to defend positions. Mr. Odinga did highlight various issues that the alliance had viewed various anomalies, he stated that results that were streamed by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) were not backed by form 34 A’s as required by the law terming the results as null and void. He continued by stating that there was a constant 11% lead on Uhuru Kenyatta adding that no country has ever experienced such. Raila Odinga acknowledged the fact that Kenyans took their time to cue and vote further calling off observers who were urging him to concede even before IEBC could announce the results officially. He urged Kenyans to refuse sitting back and allowing Jubilee to turn the country into a banana republic, and that he and his team will do all it takes to peacefully draw attention to the injustices, further calling Africans to be in solidarity with Kenya during this time. Mr. Odinga termed the killing of IEBC ICT Manager Chris Msando as the sacrificial lamb so that Jubilee could rig itself into power.
The Kenyan constitution Article 40 indicates that a person may file a petition at the Supreme Court to challenge the election of president elect within 7 days of the declaration of the results. President Uhuru Kenyatta was set to sworn in on the 29th August, at the Moi Sports Center Kasarani in Nairobi but with the oppositions decision to head to the courts this will be postponed to the 9th September after the ruling by the Supreme Court that is if it upholds the commissions declaration, however if it is declared null then Kenyans will have fresh elections in 60 days..
The opposition has until close of business today to file their petition, after which Mr. Odinga will have two days to serve the respondents that is the IEBC and President elect Uhuru Kenyatta who in turn have four days to serve their responses. On the 8th day after filing the petitions the Supreme Court will have a pre-trial conference after which there will be a hearing and the ruling will be in 14 days. The decision of the Supreme Court will be final. Chief Justice David Maraga has stated that he and his team are ready for either of the outcomes.
This is the second time that Raila Odinga is heading to the courts having filed a petition back in 2013 which failed. He is hoping that the Supreme Court can be able to redeem itself.