Last month, we helped lead an International Election Observation Mission for Kenya’s presidential elections, sponsored by the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI), on whose boards we serve. At the time of our writing, William Ruto had narrowly edged out Raila Odinga, but court challenges to the results are still being worked out. 

While Kenya’s elections are once again disputed, they are being done so through legal channels and the democratic achievements of the Kenyan people are clear. The Kenyan Supreme Court is scheduled to rule on petitions challenging the presidential results tomorrow.  

Kenya has been a relative bastion of stability in a very difficult neighborhood. Surrounded by unrest and one-man rule in Sudan and South Sudan, rampant terrorism in Somalia, civil war in Ethiopia and dictatorship in Uganda, Kenya’s dedication to elections and multi-party politics is an inspiration to its people, the region and the continent. It’s also an inspiration to aspiring democracies all over the world.  

Kenya’s next president faces daunting problems: a large youth population with limited job opportunities, a crushing debt burden (encouraged by Chinese lending to fund large infrastructure projects) and pervasive corruption. Kenya’s democracy is far from perfect; voter registration and turnout declined in 2022, and post-election violence in 2007 left over 1,000 dead and hundreds of thousands displaced. The last presidential election in 2017 was annulled by the Supreme Court and had to be redone. Yet, despite these very real challenges, Kenyans voted and relished the opportunity to have a voice in their future.    

International observation serves to reinforce global support for credible elections around the world. Reflecting that elections are a process, prior to our deployment, NDI and IRI conducted missions to Kenya in May and July to assess the electoral context and preparations for elections. On the eve of the elections, we met with a wide array of stakeholders, including leading presidential candidates, members of the Independent Election Commission and the Supreme Court, civic society representatives, church groups, women’s organizations and independent citizen observers who were conducting a parallel vote tabulation. 

On Election Day this Aug. 9, we observed an impressive logistical undertaking with over 46,000 polling places across a country slightly larger than California and Florida combined. We witnessed staffers working through the night before the election to ensure polling places would open on time. We saw long lines in Kibera, the section of the capital of Nairobi that is Africa’s largest slum, and all across the region. Still, voters patiently waited to have their identification verified before receiving their ballots and voting.

Kenya’s election had both 21st-century cutting-edge biometric real-time voter identification, and old-style manual counting where ballots were dumped on makeshift tables for tabulation (manual hand counting) well into the night.

We witnessed firsthand women voting, as well as women candidates competing for high offices like the vice president and governors of their respective regions or constituencies. While women candidates faced harassment and threats of physical violence, Kenya elected a historic number of female governors  in addition to voting women into 26 Parliamentary seats and three Senate seats. Still, while close to half of voters are women, Kenya’s government has never held many women. The country is far from achieving the “two-thirds gender principle” enacted in order to increase women’s representation in government.  

Ruto campaigned on a classic “rags to riches story” —  roadside chicken seller risen to wealthy businessman and current deputy president. His slogan, “Every Hustle Matters,” was designed to appeal to young Kenyans who rely on the vast underground economy. Odinga was a known commodity for Kenyan voters, having served as prime minister and previously run for president four times. Repeatedly jailed without trial under the Moi dictatorship in the 1980s, Odinga was endorsed by current President Kenyatta over Kenyatta’s previous running mate and serving Deputy President Ruto — a House of Cards-like twist of the type that dominates Kenyan politics.   

Why does far away Kenya matter for the U.S. with so many of our own challenges? It is the economic powerhouse of East Africa, anchoring the western Indian Ocean where China increasingly flexes its muscle and expands its military footprint. It was in Kenya (and neighboring Tanzania) where Osama bin Laden attacked the U.S., bombing our embassies in 1998, and killing 213 people in Nairobi (and 11 in Dar es Salaam). Kenya has been a loyal partner in countering Islamic extremism, serving as a diplomatic mediator in regional conflicts, and providing safe haven for refugees fleeing turmoil, including the horrific 1994 genocide in Rwanda and the tragic ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kenya was also one of the most vocal critics of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As one of the most important countries in the dynamic African continent, Kenya’s political direction and democratic stability are matters of great concern all over the globe. 

As we repeatedly told our Kenyan interlocutors, elections are about more than just winning — they are also about accepting defeat. We know this all too well from personal experience. Losing elections with grace a dignity after the votes are counted and legitimate court challenges exhausted is every bit as important as a level campaign playing field, secret voting and transparent vote counting.  

Whatever the final outcome, the real winners in Kenya’s election are the voters who had a voice in choosing their leader. And the long-term winners are the citizens of every democracy on earth struggling to implement and maintain this most precious and most delicate of governing systems. That includes the United States. 

Donna Brazile is a member of the board of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the former interim chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. Randy Scheunemann is vice chair of the board at the International Republican Institute (IRI) and strategic counselor at the Halifax International Security Forum. The views expressed are their own. The Hill

The much-awaited Supreme Court judgment of the presidential petition will be delivered on Monday, September 5, at noon. 

According to a notice from the registrar of the Supreme Court of Kenya, Letizia Wachira, the seven-judge bench will be expected to deliver the judgment at Milimani Law courts. 

The judges comprise Chief Justice Martha Koome, Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, Isaac Lenaola, Smokin Wanjala, Ibrahim Mohammed, Njoki Ndungu and William Ouko.

A display of the Supreme court session as hearing of petition continues on August 31, 2022 JUDICIARY

"Take notice that the judgment in this petition will be delivered on Monday, September 5, 2022, at noon at the Supreme Court of Kenya Milimani Law Courts," read part of the notice. 

Azimio's Raila Odinga and Martha Karua filed a petition challenging the outcome of the presidential election in favour of president-elect, William Ruto.  

Among the issues that Raila pointed out in his petition included; Ruto did not garner the 50 percent plus one vote requirement, arguing that results from 27 constituencies were yet to be tallied and verified by the time of the announcement. 

Azimio also claimed that IEBC could not account for 250,000 votes, excluding the manual votes cast. Raila and his running mate sought the apex court to declare them president-elect and Deputy president-elect respectively. 

Raila also sought a comprehensive and forensic audit of all equipment and technology used by the electoral commission in the presidential election. Raila also sought Chebukati to be declared unfit to hold public office. 

A total of nine petitions were filed challenging the presidential outcome. The Supreme Court later consolidated seven petitions into one, arguing that the issues raised in the seven petitions were parallel to each other and would be merged with the lead petition filed by Raila.

"Upon perusing and considering issues raised in the petitions we find that they lay similar issues and seek similar orders therefore we order that the petitions be and hereby consolidated with petition E005 which is the lead presidential election petition for 2022," Koome stated. 

The Supreme Court is expected to base its judgment on nine key issues which were highlighted during the pre-trial conference.  By BRIAN KIMANI, Kenyans.co.ke

Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya leader Raila Odinga has said he accepts the verdict of the Supreme Court of Kenya on the presidential election but doesn’t agree with it.

Seven Supreme Court judges on Monday, September 5 unanimously upheld William Ruto’s victory in the August 9 presidential petition, saying Odinga’s legal team did not produce evidence to warrant nullification of the election.

The judges are Martha Koome (Chief Justice), Philomena Mwilu (Deputy Chief Justice), Mohammed Ibrahim, Smokin Wanjala, Njoki Ndung’u, Isaac Lenaona and William Ouko. 

Odinga, who challenged Ruto’s victory in court, said it was “incredible” that all the nine key grounds on which he sought nullification of the president-elect’s win were thrown out.

The former prime minister’s team had argued that some forms 34A were intercepted mid-air and changed before being rerouted to the IEBC portal.

On this claim, the Supreme Court ruled that Odinga’s legal team did not provide any evidence to prove the allegation, saying the IEBC showed that the election technology was secure, verifiable and transparent.

The court also established that Ruto was validly elected as president by getting at least 50 per cent plus one vote.

“We respect the opinion of the court although we vehemently disagree with their decision today,” Odinga said in a press statement on Monday, September 5. 

“Our lawyers proffered irrefutable evidence and the facts were on our side, unfortunately, the judges saw it otherwise. We find it incredible that the judges found against us all nine grounds and occasion resulted to unduly exaggerated language to refute our claims,” said Odinga.

The Azimio leader urged his supporters to remain calm, saying he’ll give directions later.

“We thank our supporters and Kenyans across the country for standing with us. We will be communicating in the near future on our plans to continue our struggle for transparency, accountability and democracy,” Odinga said.

Ruto, who ran on UDA ticket, got 7.18 million votes (50.49 per cent) against Odinga’s 6.94 million (48.85 per cent).

The president-elect, as per the law, will now be sworn in as Kenya’s fifth president on Tuesday, September 13, which is seven days after the Supreme Court renders it verdict.  By Winfrey Owino, The Standard

• Army patrol eliminates three, recover weapons in Kaduna
• NMS graduates 220 soldiers ready for battle

Troops of 199 Special Forces and 222 Battalions, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) in coordinated military airstrikes have killed 200 Boko Haram terrorists, including five commanders, on the fringes of Sambisa Forest in Borno State.

In sustained operations to clear the North West of banditry and terrorism, at the weekend, troops of 1 Division, the Army has neutralised three bandits and terrorists along Sabon Birni, Dogondawa-Kuyelo and Farin Ruwa.

In Kaduna State, the Nigerian Military School (NMS), Zaria, over the weekend, graduated 220 soldiers for the 2022 session.

The coordinated joint military operations of September 1, 2022, in Borno also led to the neutralisation of top five commanders of the terror group. They are Abou Hauwa, Amir Shettima, Akura Buri (Nakif), Abou Zainab and Abou Idris.

A counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, stated, yesterday, in Maiduguri: “An intelligence-led aerial and ground operations targeted the terrorists’ hideouts in the Gaizuwa border, comprising Gabchari, Sheruri, Mantari and Mallam Masari villages in Bama Local Council of the state.

He said the ground troops had, during the raid, stormed a hideout of the terrorists at Gafchari, where they engaged the bandits in a gun battle, which led to the killing of over 30 insurgents, while others escaped with gunshot wounds towards the forest.

The Air Task Force (ATF), in another coordination with the ground troops, he added, detailed two Super Tucano jets to conduct air interdiction missions against the terrorists.

This, he explained, led to the killing of additional 70 fighters and drowning of many who tried to escape.

“Similar strikes were also undertaken at Sheruri when the combat aircraft attacked another location of fighters deployed to stage an ambush against the ground troops,” Makama said.

The Guardian gathered that the Super Tucano scored a devastating hit, killing Buri and Hauwa and more than 63 of their foot soldiers.

His words: “In another separate encounter with the terrorists during the robust fighting patrol, the troops succeeded in eliminating many insurgents in the axis of Mantari in a gun battle that lasted over two hours.

“In Gazuwa, the troops destroyed two vehicles and the home of Abou Iklilima, which used to be a hideout for insurgents’ leaders. Other makeshift tents and properties belonging to terrorists were also destroyed.”

Few of the surviving terrorists, who returned on September 3 to recover terrorists’ bodies, were able to retrieve 36 additional bodies in the river near Gabchari village, he noted.

Meanwhile, when the terrorists were preparing to conduct mass burial for their dead commanders, the military authorities also deployed Super Tucano to the location and neutralised most of them. 

“This has completely degraded the capabilities of the terrorists in Sambisa Forest and the Lake Chad region,” noted the Theatre Commander of OPHK, Maj-Gen. Christopher Musa, in Maiduguri.

The troops in the North West, according to army spokesman, Brig-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, in the ensuing shoot-out, eliminated three of the terrorists and recovered two AK-47 rifles, nine magazines, seven Baofeng communication radios, one Tecno mobile phone, 120 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition, one power generator and a motorcycle.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, has said that the passing out boys of NMS would undergo further training to adequately prepare to contribute to the defence of the nation.

He made the remarks at the 64th Passing Out Parade (POP) of the NMS Boys at Chindit Cantonment, Zaria.

The COAS, who was the Special Guest of Honour and Reviewing Officer for the POP, stated that the graduating boys would undergo a six-week training at the Nigerian Army School of Infantry to prepare them for future tasks. By Odita Sunday (Abuja), Njadvara Musa (Maiduguri) and Abdulganiyu Alabi (Kaduna), The Guradian