In pics | Kenya on alert as Odinga’s supporters spark violence post-election results

After anxiously waiting for the results of the August 9 polls, Deputy President William Ruto was declared the winner, defeating his competitor Raila Odinga by a very slight margin.

According to Wafula Chebukati, chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, the contest was close throughout, with Ruto receiving 50.49 per cent of the vote to Odinga’s 48.85 per cent.

Both presidential candidates, William Ruto and Raila Odinga, agreed to settle any disagreements in court rather than on the streets because of the trauma of previous post-election violence, which still hangs over Kenya.

The election procedure has been formed in such a way to avoid any sort of violence that occurred earlier in 2017 and the 2007 election.

Despite both leaders agreeing to settle the matter in court rather than the streets, that did not deter followers of 77-year-old Raila Odinga from swarming the streets of Kisumu to demonstrate in his support. There, the protesters clashed with police, who used tear gas to disperse them.

Odinga’s Supreme Court appeal is already widely anticipated, and his running mate, Martha Karua, said, "It is not over till it is over," AFP reported.

Four out of the seven IEBC commissioners have rejected the results, with one calling the election process "opaque." This issue is likely to severely harm the IEBC’s harsh criticism for how it handled the 2017 election.

However, the IEBC’s commissioner, who was in charge of 2017, said that he carried out his duties in accordance with the law.

William Ruto, 55, has stated he will cooperate with all leaders and said there is no vengeance.

The leader further portrayed the referendum on a shady rags-to-riches businessman as a conflict between the ordinary ‘hustlers’ and 'dynasties.'

Any challenge to the outcomes must be submitted to the Supreme Court within 7 days, and the court has 14 days to rule on it. If it orders the vote to be void, a fresh election must be held in two months or 60 days.

In two weeks, if no petition is filed, William Ruto will take the oath of office and will become the country’s president.

A nation with nearly 50 million people, which is already battling with rising prices, a severe drought, pervasive corruption, and growing discontent with political establishments.