Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta called for calm and respect after a Supreme Court ruling on Friday (September 1) nullified his election and ordered a new poll within 60 days.
Kenyatta made the appeal for peace to cheering supporters in the Kenyan capital Nairobi and after a televised address in the State House.
“We have said and because we believe in peace and because we believe we have laws, let them say what they want to say but, I ask you, have we accepted? We have accepted. Right? And we are urging for peace,” he said.
The decision to cancel the result sets up a new race for the presidency between Kenyatta, 55, and veteran opponent Raila Odinga, 72. Experts said the judgement would reverberate across a continent that is slowly moving away from a history of strongmen towards democracy.
Kenya, a U.S. ally in the fight against Islamists and East Africa’s biggest economy, is a trade gateway for the region. But it has a history of disputed votes, which can send shockwaves through the region and beyond.
Reuters
