IEBC gazettes William Ruto, Rigathi Gachagua win

President-elect William Ruto and Deputy President-elect Rigathi Gachagua hold their election certificate at the Bomas of Kenya on August 15, 2022. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Wafula Chebukati has gazetted William Ruto and Rigathi Gachagua as president-elect and deputy president-elect respectively.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 88 (4), 136, 138 (4), and 148 (3) of the Constitution of Kenya, section 4 of the IEBC Act 2011, the Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission declares that Ruto Samoei William and Rigathi Gachagua have been duly elected as the president and deputy president respectively, during the General Election held on August 9, 2022," the gazette notice read in part.

Ruto was Monday declared Kenya's president-elect by the IEBC, after polling 7,176,141 votes his closest rival Raila Odinga who got 6,942,930.

This represented 50.49 per cent of the total votes cast and 48.85 per cent for Odinga respectively, a difference of 233,211 votes.

"William Samoei Ruto has been duly elected as the president of the Republic of Kenya," Chebukati announced on Monday, to thunderous applause from Ruto's supporters who had been camping at the Bomas of Kenya.

Ruto will now become the country's fifth president, succeeding President Uhuru Kenyatta.