William Ruto Extends ‘Hand Of Brotherhood’ To Vote Rivals

Kenya’s president-elect William Ruto says he will extend a hand of brotherhood to his rivals after the Supreme Court upheld his victory in the August 9 presidential poll.
In a speech following the court decision, Ruto said, ”We are not enemies, we are Kenyans’.
In a unanimous ruling on Monday, the court, after considering several issues, including the integrity of the technology used, the validity of result sheets, and whether the election outcome would have been affected by irregularities and illegalities, Chief Justice Martha Koome said, the petitioners failed to prove that the election has any reasonable ground to be nullified.
The verdict ends a prolonged political process, including an election campaign dominated by mudslinging and fake news, with many observers fearing that the dispute over the result would boil over into violence.
But on Monday, Ruto struck a conciliatory tone, saying election and judicial institutions have won and that his government would work to make Kenya a country for everyone.
As deputy president, Ruto was widely expected to succeed outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, but found himself exiled to the sidelines when his boss struck an alliance with former foe Odinga, endorsing him for the top job.
A businessman with a rags-to-riches background and a shadowy reputation, Ruto had styled himself as “hustler-in-chief” and champion of the downtrodden as Kenya grapples with an economic crisis.
Both Ruto and Odinga had vowed to respect the court’s ruling, with memories still raw of deadly violence that marred previous election disputes in East Africa’s most vibrant democracy.