Uhuru: Be peaceful, Supreme Court case is not your fight

 

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto listen keenly to young Ann when they attended Sunday Mass in Ngong, Kajiado on 20-08-17. Photo by Moses Omusula

President Uhuru Kenyatta has asked Kenyans to maintain peace as the Supreme Court starts hearing of the presidential petition.

Uhuru said the case was not a fight and that everyone should go on with their business and let him and Opposition leader Raila Odinga square it out in court.

He said Kenyans had already done their democratic part by casting their votes and what remained was beyond their jurisdiction.

"Let us pray for peace. What is happening is in line with the Constitution. There is no need for Kenyans to have tension," he said.

The President, who was declared the winner of the August 8 general election by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), said so far, Kenyans had shown maturity in terms of democracy.

Speaking at a church service in Ngong, Kajiado County on Sunday, Uhuru said Kenyans should desist from being dragged into political differences and instead concentrate on building their lives.

He said Kajiado had been at the forefront in ensuring peaceful co-existence among the diverse communities living in the area.

"Even when the rest of the country was plunged into violence in 2007/2008, there was peace in Kajiado. That is how we want Kenyans to co-exist. Leave politics to politicians," said President Uhuru.

He said the country needed everyone's input to fast-track development.

"We did our election in peace and it is important we maintain that. Leave us to fight in court. For you, go on with your business as usual," said Uhuru.

The President was accompanied by his Deputy William Ruto, Kajiado Governor-elect Joseph Ole Lenku, and Nairobi Governor-elect Mike Sonko.

State House has welcomed the decision by the National Super Alliance (NASA) to petition the Supreme Court over the presidential results. 

In the petition, NASA avers that there was vote-rigging in At least 27 counties.

on Sunday, the petitioners, Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka, publicly notified the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), its chairman Wafula Chebukati and President Uhuru Kenyatta, who are the first, second and third respondents, about the petition. The respondents have four days to respond to the claims outlined by the National Super Alliance (NASA) leaders who have disputed President Kenyatta's declaration as the winner of the presidential vote with 8.2 million votes (54 per cent) against Raila's 6.7 million (44 per cent).

By Tuesday, the IEBC is required to have submitted to the Supreme Court certified copies of the documents used to declare the results of the presidential election.

These include the forms used to announce results at polling stations (Form 34As) and the constituency tallying centres (form 34Bs) and to declare the results at the national tallying centre (Form 34C).

The Supreme Court Act requires the IEBC to do so within 48 hours from the date of the service of a presidential election petition. There are 40,883 Form 34As and 290 Form 34Bs.

 On Saturday, eight days after filing of the petition, the judges will convene a pre-trial conference to frame contested issues and immediately after start hearing the petition.

On Sunday, IEBC said: "NASA is yet to serve us with the petition. Attempts to collect it from their lawyers on record proved futile as their offices were closed."

According to a notice of the petition published in The Sunday Standard yesterday, copies of the petition, supporting affidavits and annexures are to be obtained from the offices of Murumba and Awele Adocates at Mirage Plaza, Chiromi Road, Nairobi.