Raila Odinga rejects election results, to pursue legal options

What you need to know:

Kenya could be in for a long period of political uncertainty in the eventuality of a Supreme court challenge by Odinga, who says he was cheated of victory in the 2007, 2013, 2017- and now the 2022 presidential elections.

Kenya's losing presidential candidate Raila Odinga Tuesday afternoon "totally and without reservation rejected the election results announced August 15" as Kenya's electoral body proclaimed William Ruto president elect.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chief Wafula Chebukati proclaimed that Ruto won with 50.49 per cent of the vote against veteran politician Odinga’s 48.5 per cent .

"The figures are null and void and must be quashed by the courts of law. What we saw yesterday was a travesty and a blatant disregard of the constitution of Kenya by Chebukati," Raila told a press conference at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on Tuesday.

Odinga, 77, disclosed that his Azimio La Umoja Party (One Kenya Coalition Party will now opt for the Supreme Court to deliver justice.

"In our view, there's neither a legally and valid declared winner nor a president elect. I do not want to fully address our strategies going forward but...we will be pursuing all constitutional and legal options available to us," he remarked.

Majority top IEBC commissioners who denounced the August 9 vote outcome also held a press conference on Tuesday reiterating that Chebukati solely arrived at the final tally.

"The law does not vest in the chairperson, the powers of a dictator to rule IEBC unilaterally… decisions must be taken by consensus or by a vote of the majority," Odinga reacted.

The ex-prime minister whose contests against electoral results in 2007, 2013 and 2017 ushered the country into deadly clashes directed his supporters to remain calm a day after cases of violent protests were observed in some parts of Kenya.

"Let no one take the law into their own hands," Odinga urged.

In the eventuality that he doesn't formalize his appeal, Ruto will be sworn in August 30 as the 5th for Kenya's job to replace president since 2013, Uhuru Kenyatta.