After rejecting the August 9 presidential poll outcome, as announced by electoral commission Chairman Wafula Chebukati on Monday, the Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya coalition is expected to challenge the results at the Supreme Court, tomorrow.
By yesterday, Raila Odinga's Azimio and William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza camps, had assembled their legal teams, to canvass before the seven judges of the country's topmost court, on the veracity or lack of it of the results announced by Mr Chebukati after a protracted tallying and verification exercise.
Without digging into the merits and demerits of the arguments so far made by the two camps, suffice to say that the decision by the Raila campaign to take constitutional means, is welcome.
In the past, electoral disputes especially at the presidential level have sparked street protests, violence and heavy handed response from security agencies, which has not been witnessed this time round save for a few isolated incidents. Various reasons have been fronted to explain the peace and tranquility in the country amid claims of rigging by the Raila side.
Firstly, for whatever it is, the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila appears to have made Kenyans realise that political disputes can be resolved through peaceful means. Violence or the use of the gun by those wielding State power should not always be the fall back plan.
It also reduced inter-ethnic tensions and made Kenyans realise that it is the ordinary people who hate each other since politicians can easily close ranks.
Secondly, many Kenyans are keen to see normalcy return so that the many challenges they are grappling with such as high cost of living and youth unemployment, can be addressed by whoever forms the next government.
Thirdly, sustained peace campaigns by various actors, including the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, NGOs, religious groups and even security agents, appear to have had an impact especially in historical hotspots.
Finally, and even more importantly, the unprecedented move by the Supreme Court under then Chief Justice David Maraga to nullify Uhuru's win in 2017 and order a re-run, restored confidence in the independence of the courts.
Many Kenyans and indeed the outside world were pleasantly surprised that the Supreme Court could nullify a win by the incumbent President.
Since then, the courts have exhibited significant maturity and independence by ruling against the Executive and the Legislature, indicating that judges have shielded themselves from political interference.
The impending presidential petition offers another test to the Chief Justice Martha Koome-led apex court to prove that the Judiciary is now a reliable arbiter of election disputes. The Supreme Court has become part of strengthening our democracy.
