Kenya Supreme Court decided to cancel result of the Presidential election: A joke without joking.
Last week, Supreme court of Kenya decided to invalidate the result of presidential election. According to those results, Uhuru Kenyatta the current President since 9 April 2013 was the winner against Raila Odinga who run for presidency each time since 2007. This time, the 3rd one was supposed to be his last attempt because he is old now. There was a consensus by all observers who told that the elections were peaceful, well performed and satisfying according to the standards of democratic elections. John Kerry the former State Secretary of The United States of America under Barack Obama leadership at the White House was co-leading a mission of the Carter Center as observer there in Kenya and he said that Kenyan election had ”great legitimacy”. The same sound came from observers from Africa Union, European Union and others players in international community.
We can understand the confidence of Uhuru Kenyatta about the fact that he will stay in office as President despite Raila Odinga rampage, political and popular pressure. The surprise was huge on September 1 when the Supreme Court didn’t confirmed the result of the election after a request of Raila Odinga to examine those result. But Raila Odinga made also pression on the court ”to redeem themselve” after the decision of the court in April 2013 which decided to confirm that Kenyatta was the President elected. The Supreme Court decided to canceled election and called for new election within 60 days. Those new election will be held on October 17.
Why the Supreme Court took that decision? The same day there was also election for governors, senators and deputies. Why this focus on Presidential election only? Why not canceling also others election as we can think that those election are also as bad as Presidential election? This decision from the Supreme Court was take to please Odinga? To please some political faction with high interest in Kenya or it was decided according to the law on a fair basis? Political observers said that it’s the first time that this decision is made by a Supreme Court in African Countries. Last year in august 2016 in Gabon the Supreme Court confirmed Ali Bongo election. In Republic of Congo also. In Angola the opposition decided to contest those last days the outcome of the Presidential election which was held last week after the Supreme Court decision’s in Kenya. In Rwanda after last month’s election nothing happened.
With such short time to rerun elections what can we expect from this decision? Nothing good to be honest. In the next month’s Presidential elections are supposed to be held in South-Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon for instance. What can we expect from those strategics countries? What this decision in Kenya teach us about the state of our institutions in African countries?
Hubert Mvogo
Die Bunten Plattform
