Go to court, Uhuru tells Raila after repeat poll win

President Uhuru Kenyatta has ruled out any form of dialogue with opposition leader Raila Odinga to end the current political stalemate occasioned by the just concluded repeat presidential election.

In his acceptance speech after being declared winner of the October 26 repeat election, President Kenyatta pre-empted that his political rival, Raila Odinga, would be heading back to court to once again challenge his victory.

Kenyatta went ahead to ask his political rivals in the National Super Alliance (NASA) to use and exhaust all the available constitutional processes to seek redress.

“Let them (opposition) first exhaust the constitutionally laid out processes, let them go to court, let them do whatever they want. Nobody shall deny them of their constitutional right. As to my agenda going forward, I  will discuss once the processes (legal battles) are over,” said Kenyatta at Bomas of Kenya, where the results were declared.

The president further hit out at Mr Odinga for withdrawing from the repeat election.

“Despite the fact that my major competitor went to court demanding the Presidential election be nullified and was granted that annulment, he chose to ignore the rest of the ruling which ordered a fresh election in 60 days conducted by IEBC. Thereafter he chose to abandon the fresh poll.  You cannot choose the opportunity to exercise a right and abscond from the consequences of that choice,” stated President Kenyatta.

On the controversial Election (Amendment) Bill passed by parliament, President Kenyatta said he was driven by his “conscience” not to sign it before the repeat election.

“When the Bill was brought to me for signature, I was compelled by my conscience to go back to the Origins of Law. If an Act of Parliament is a direct expression of the Will of the People, were the people happy with this law?” Uhuru posed.

“Some argued that I was changing the Rules of Engagement half-way through the game. Others argued to change the electoral law ahead of the 26th election is to privilege myself over the other competitors. And because law must be founded on reasoned national consensus, I listened to these voices.  I did not sign the new Bill into Law.”

Uhuru Kenyatta secured 7,483,895 votes accounting for 98.26 percent of the total votes cast.

He said Kenyans had revalidated his August 8 victory, after he was declared the winner of the October 26 election.

Mr Odinga, who withdrew from the election citing failure by the IEBC to create a level playing ground, got 73,228 votes.