Kenya's top court throws out August presidential election results, orders a do-over

Kenyan opposition candidate Raila Odinga celebrates high court ruling

(Image credit: Simon Maina/AFP/Getty Images)

published 1 September 2017

On Friday, Kenya's Supreme Court decided, 4-2, that last month's presidential election had been marred by vote-count irregularities and was not "conducted in accordance with the constitution," and it ordered a new election within 60 days. The high court did not blame President Uhuru Kenyatta or his party but instead pointed at the election commission, which had declared Kenyatta the winner by 1.5 million votes, or 54 percent of ballots. Longtime opposition candidate Raila Odinga had claimed that the electronic reporting system had been hacked, and he challenged the results.

"It's a very historic day for the people of Kenya and by extension the people of Africa," Odinga said after the ruling, with his supporters celebrating in the streets. He called for the election commission to be disbanded and prosecuted. Kenyatta's lawyer called the ruling "very political" but said it must be respected. At least 28 people died in protests after the original vote.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.