The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has officially gazetted the outgoing Deputy President William Ruto and his running mate Rigathi Gachagua as the winners of the 2022 presidential election, whose results were declared on Monday evening.
The Commission chairman Wafula Chebukati through a gazette notice on Tuesday said the two were duly elected as President and Deputy President having fulfilled the threshold set under Article 138 (4) of the Constitution.
In accordance with the Constitution, a candidate who gets more than half the number of votes cast countrywide and at least 25 per cent of the vote in each or more than half the counties wins.
Ruto garnered 7,176,141 against his closest rival Raila Odinga who garnered 6,942,930 translating to 50.49 per cent and 48.85 per cent respectively, with a difference of 233,211 votes.
“William Samoei Ruto has been duly elected as the president of the Republic of Kenya,” announced IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati amidst applause from Ruto’s supporters who had been camping at the national tallying centre at Bomas of Kenya since vote counting commenced six days ago.
The other presidential candidates, David Mwaure of Agano Party garnered 31,987 votes representing 0.23 per cent while George Wajackoyah of the Roots Party got 61,969 votes (0.44 per cent).
A total of 14 million people voted in the just concluded August 9 General Election out of a total of 22 million registered voters in Kenya.
The Constitution of Kenya requires the winner of a presidential election to garner at least 50 per cent plus one (1) of the total votes cast besides getting at least 25 per cent of the votes in half of Kenya’s 47 counties.