What’s Next for Ruto After Winning Presidency?

Deputy President William Ruto emerged the winner in the presidential contest on August 15.

According to the Constitution, the president-elect should be sworn in on August 30, the first Tuesday “following the fourteenth day after the date of the declaration [15 August] of the result of the presidential election”.

Dr Ruto may have to wait a little longer after his closest rival, Raila Odinga of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance, moved to the Supreme Court seeking to have his win nullified.

The law provides that a person contesting the outcome of presidential election to file a petition at the supreme court within seven days of the announcement of the results.

Read: Raila Rejects Results Declaring DP Ruto President-elect

As it is, Raila filed his petition on August 22 at the Milimani Law Courts.

Apart from the former prime minister, seven other petitions challenging Dr Ruto’s victory were filed.

The Apex Court is expected to hear and determine the cases in 14 days after which the decision will be final.

The seven judge-bench will be required to render its ruling by September 5.

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The court could uphold DP Ruto’s election after which he will be sworn in as Kenya’s fifth president on September 13 “the seventh day following the date on which the court renders a decision declaring the election to be valid”.

It could also agree with the petitioners and “determines the election of the president-elect to be invalid, a fresh election shall be held within sixty days after the determination”.

Should the election be invalidated, a repeat election would have to be held by November 4.

Meanwhile, a 20-member committee of government officers has been formed to ensure a smooth transition.

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The committee is led by head of public service Joseph Kinyua.

As is required by law, other members of the transition committee include;

• Attorney general Paul Kihara,
• Interior CS Fred Matiang’i,
• Principal secretary in charge of interior Karanja Kibicho,
• Principal secretary in charge of the national treasury Julius Muia,
• Principal secretary in charge of foreign affairs Macharia Kamau,
• Principal secretary in charge of information and communication technologies Jerome Ochieng,
• And other principal secretaries.

The chief of defence forces Robert Kibochi, inspector general of police Hillary Mutyambai, director general of the National Intelligence Service Philip Kameru, statehouse comptroller Kinuthia Mbugua and the clerks of the two houses of parliament are also members of the committee.

The chief registrar of the judiciary, Anne Amadi, is also part of the transition team. She is tasked with administering the oath of office to the president-elect and the deputy president-elect.

Read Also: Kivutha Kibwana Joins DP Ruto’s Legal Team

Dr Ruto’s camp is required to appoint three representatives to sit in the transition committee.

The inauguration day shall be declared a public holiday.

The president-elect and his deputy shall take oath of office “not earlier than 10.00am and not later than 2.00pm” at a public place in the presence of the Chief Justice.

A certificate of inauguration must be signed by both the chief justice and the president-elect in order to transfer power.

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According to the law, the outgoing president must hand over the constitution and a sword, which serve as the president’s instruments of power and authority.

Before the new president gives his inauguration speech, the deputy president-elect must be sworn in after the president-elect.