ALN WELCOMES DECISION BY KENYAN SUPREME COURT

ALN WELCOMES THE DECISION BY THE KENYAN SUPREME COURT TO NULLIFY ELECTION RESULTS

 
The largest political affiliation in Africa, the Africa Liberal Network, welcomes the decision by the Kenyan Supreme Court to nullify the results of the national election that took place on 8 August. The National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition petitioned the court to challenge the election results as they claimed that the elections were rigged and fraudulent. Raila Odinga, the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement, a full member of the ALN, and the leader of the NASA coalition lauded the decision by Chief Justice David Maraga on 1 September as a precedent-setting judgment. The Supreme Court reached a conclusion that the elections were not conducted in accordance with electoral law and that a new election has to be held in 60 days. This is the first time that an African court has overturned an election.

NASA announced on Friday that they will also request for a neutral electoral management body to oversee the elections as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) as Kenyans have lost faith in the commission to conduct free and fair elections. The IEBC initially declared President Uhuru Kenyatta the winner with 54% of the votes, however NASA quickly disputed these results. They claimed that the IEBC database and servers was hacked and an algorithm introduced to rig the votes.
The ALN applauds the opposition and its sister-party for following due process in their attempt to let democracy reign. The Supreme Court of Kenya has not only made the country proud, but also acted as a shining example for other countries in Africa facing challenging elections. The network hopes that the rest of the country and its citizens will follow suit, and allow constitutionalism and the rule of law to guide them in the days ahead. The network also calls on the Kenyan government and President Kenyatta to respect the decision by the Supreme Court.
The ALN supports its sister party in the upcoming elections, and will continue to fight for liberal values, not only in Kenya, but over the whole of Africa.
 
Media enquiries:
Zanie Ferreira (ALN Coordinator)
zanie.maree@africaliberalnetwork.org