Photo Courtesy PD

Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua on Thursday, August 18 met the United States congressional delegation

Raila said they discussed matters relating to the recently held general election in Kenya. 

"We held candid discussions on developments around our general election and bilateral relations with the congressional delegation of the US Senate and House of Representatives," Raila said.

Raila to move to court

The leaders also discussed Azimio la Umoja's decision to move to court to challenge the presidential results.

"We reiterated our commitment to pursuing legal means to resolve issues around the presidential election results," Raila added. 

The delegation earlier met President-elect William Ruto at his Karen residence where they held talks surrounding the just concluded general election.

"Held talks with Congressional Delegation from the United States led by Delaware Senator Chris Andrew Coons in the company of US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman at the Karen Office, Nairobi County.

"The talks touched on the just concluded elections in the country and areas of cooperation between Kenya and the United States.

"We commit to deepening relations and further partnership for the mutual benefit of the citizens of the two countries," Ruto said in a statement. 

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati on Monday, August 15 announced that Ruto won the August 9 presidential election with 7.17 million votes against Raila's 6.94 million.

Raila rejects election results

However, Raila said that the figures announced by Chebukati were null and void and should be thrown out by a competent court of law.

One of the grounds of his rejection of the vote was the disagreement that rocked the electoral commission just before Chebukati announced the winners.

Four of the seven commissioners rejected the results on Monday saying the last phase of counting and tallying had been opaque.

Raila’s rejection of the results came even as Chebukati on Tuesday gazetted Ruto and his running mate Rigathi Gachagua, as President-elect and Deputy President-elect respectively.

Vowing to fight the results, Raila said: “The figures announced by Chebukati are null and void and must be quashed by a court of law. In our view, there is neither a legally and validly declared winner nor a president-elect. Mr Chebukati’s announcement purporting to announce a winner is a nullity.”

He also thanked his supporters for remaining peaceful as he and other Azimio leaders prepared to challenge the results.

He said that Chebukati had acted with gross impunity and in total disregard of the Constitution and the laws, adding that he could have plunged the country into chaos had Azimio supporters not exercised restraint. By Evans Maritim, People Daily