Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has stated that he will accept the Supreme Court's decision in the petition challenging the declaration of Willian Ruto as president-elect.
Speaking to Reuters on Monday, August 29, the Azimio leader exuded confidence in the highest court of the land, maintaining that he won the August 9 polls.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party boss argued that the evidence submitted to the apex Court was watertight even as he reiterated that he wanted to be declared as the president-elect.
Further, he defended his statements stating that he has never attempted to influence the decision of the 7-judge bench led by Chief Justice Martha Koome.
"I really do not want to appear as if I am blackmailing the Supreme Court, I want the court to hear the case impartially and make a ruling that is impartial which respects democracy," he stated.
He further argued that the petitions before the court will help the Kenya in the long run by sealing loopholes in the country's electoral processes.
"We will try to ensure that we do not have a repeat of what has happened. We do not want to have the voice of the people to be muzzled through manipulations as was witnessed in the just concluded polls," Raila asserted.
The statements by Raila barely came hours before the Supreme Court convened a pre-trial conference for the nine petitions filed before the court.
Raila has previously been accused by Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) of trying to influence the decision of the Supreme Court through comments made in public rallies.
In particular, the ODM boss had been criticised for making demands to be named as President-elect should the court order a recount.
The Supreme Court is expected to render a decision on Raila's petition on Monday, September 5 .
Hearings are set to begin August 31 after ground rules are set in Tuesday's pre-trial conference that will be held at the Milimani Law Courts.
