I am confident judges won’t be compromised – Ruto

President-elect William Ruto has expressed his confidence in the Supreme Court, ahead of the hearing of eight petitions challenging his election in the August 9 poll.

Speaking during a church service at Kanduyi, Bungoma County, on Sunday, August 28, the Kenya Kwanza Alliance leader said he believes the seven Supreme Court judges handling the matter will make an independent decision devoid of interference by external forces.

“We have confidence in the courts and we will continue to build the independence of our institutions,” Ruto said at Christ The King Church.

He lauded Kenyans for remaining peaceful during the electioneering period.

“We have made a great statement to the world by remaining peaceful during this process. Bribery, intimidation and blackmail did not win votes on August 9 and neither did it win the IEBC. We also hope it will not win our courts,” Ruto added.

“I am very sure that shortly we will go back to full normalcy, building the nation and fulfilling the commitments we made to our people.”

Ruto spoke a day after a section of IEBC commissioners alleged an attempt by some state officers to influence the outcome of the August 9 polls.

While responding to a petition filed by Ruto’s main challenger Raila Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati named senior government officials who ‘wanted to subvert the will of the people at the Bomas of Kenya’ during tallying of the presidential results.

Chebukati said the members of the National Security Advisory Committee (NSAC) wanted the commission to declare Raila as the winner of the presidential poll or force a run-off.

The officers included the Principal Administrative Secretary at the office of President Kennedy Kihara, Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto, Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai and LT. General Francis Omondi Ogolla, the Vice Chief of Defence Forces.

Raila claims his victory was stolen and wants the Supreme Court to nullify Ruto’s election as Kenya’s fifth president.