Even with the Supreme Court ruling upholding President Uhuru Kenyatta’s victory, opposition leader Raila Odinga insists Jubilee is an illegitimate government.
In a statement through his adviser Salim Lone a short while after the six-judge bench led by Chief Justice David Maraga delivered the ruling, he said he does not recognize Uhuru’s victory or the legitimacy of his government.
“We in NASA had repeatedly declared before this Supreme Court ruling today that we consider this government to be illegitimate and do not recognize it,” read part of the statement.
Lone added that this position has not changed since.
“This position has not been changed by the court ruling, which did not come as a surprise. It was a decision taken under duress. We do not condemn the court, we sympathize with it.”
Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, Justices Smokin Wanajala, Jackton Ojwang, Njoki Ndungu and Isaac Lenaola took a unanimous decision.
Maraga who read the short ruling said: “The court has unanimously determined that the petitions are not merited.”
Lone said with the ruling, an illegitimate government cannot be legitimized.
He hinted that they could have taken the decision out of threats issued by Uhuru after nullification of August 8 polls on September 1.
“As such, the court’s decision today could not possibly legitimize an illegitimate government whose President had publicly accused the Court of having carried out a ‘coup’ by annulling his election and threatened to ‘fix’ the justices once he was back in power,” Raila’s adviser further stated.