· Kenya’s top court upheld Uhuru Kenyatta’s presidential win, ending three months of electoral uncertainty that have slowed growth in East Africa’s biggest economy.
· Supreme Court rejects all of the petitions challenging the vote.
“The court has unanimously determined that the petitions are not merited,” Chief Justice David Maraga told a packed courtroom in the capital, Nairobi. “The presidential election of Oct. 26 is hereby upheld.”
The response from the opposition leader, Raila Odinga, who boycotted the October polls, will be crucial in the light of demonstrations against Kenyatta’s initial victories that have led to the loss of lives and business activity.
Kenyatta, who’ll be sworn in next week and form a new cabinet, now needs to unite a country that’s so politically divided that some are advocating independence for regions that support the opposition. The world’s largest shipper of black tea is also seeking to reinvigorate growth that’s forecast to slow to 5 percent from 5.8 percent last year and cut unemployment that affects more than a third of the Kenyan workforce.
