Nairobi - Kenya's Supreme Court has annulled the result of last month's presidential election, citing irregularities, and ordered a new one within 60 days. The election commission had declared incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta the winner by a margin of 1.4 million votes. Raila Odinga, Mr Kenyatta's opponent, said members of the electoral commission had committed a monstrous crime. President Kenyatta said it was important to respect the rule of law. Chief Justice David Maraga said the 8 August election had not been "conducted in accordance with the constitution" and declared it "invalid, null and void". He said the verdict was backed by four of the six Supreme Court judges. The announcement drew cheers from opposition supporters both inside and outside the courtroom. The court ruling did not attribute any blame to President Kenyatta's party or campaign.
Justice Maraga said the election commission had failed "to conduct the presidential election in a manner consistent with the dictates of the constitution". He did not elaborate on any irregularities, but said the court would provide details in a full judgment within 21 days. Dissenting judges said that the Nasa opposition alliance - which had petitioned the Supreme Court - failed to prove claims that the polls had been rigged.
International election monitors from the EU, the African Union and the US said there had been no major fraud on election day and urged opposition candidate Raila Odinga to concede. The election sparked days of sporadic protests, in which at least 28 people were killed. The vote had raised fears of major political violence - as was the case after a disputed poll in 2007.(FA)
