Calm returns to Nairobi a day after Supreme Court upholds Kenyatta re-election

Kenya’s capital, Nairobi on Tuesday remained calm a day after the Supreme Court upheld the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta in last month’s repeat presidential vote.

Chief Justice, David Maraga on Monday said all six judges dismissed the two legal challenges to the vote. The opposition coalition NASA insisted the government was illegitimate.

Kenyatta’s main challenger, NASA’s Raila Odinga, said via his adviser Salim Lone, that the ruling “did not come as a surprise” and said “it was a decision taken under duress”.

The ruling clears the way for Kenyatta’s swearing-in on November 28, but it is unlikely to end the worst political crisis in East Africa’s most developed economy in a decade. Sporadic clashes erupted on Monday in pro-opposition areas after the ruling.

Some kenyas said a burden has been taken off their shoulders adding that they can now move on with their life.

“What has happened by yesterday’s verdict, we are happy about it because we have now regained the peace back in our country and hoping that you know, everything will go on well. Because we had gone down, about businesses and economically we had lost quite a lot” said a Nairobi resident, Richard Muchiri.

However, Odinga has dismissed the court decision, saying it was made under coercion insisting that the government and the election remained illegitimate.

“It was a decision taken under duress. We do not condemn the court, we sympathize with it,” he said in a statement.
Dozens have been killed during demonstrations since the August election, and police have been accused of using excessive force with Odinga supporters.

According to local media, at least five people were killed on Friday when police fired tear gas and then bullets at Odinga supporters seeking to welcome him home from a trip abroad. Odinga’s motorcade was then blocked by police from attending a rally at Uhuru Park.