Kenya Supreme Court upholds re-election of President Kenyatta News
Kenya Supreme Court upholds re-election of President Kenyatta

The Supreme Court of Kenya [official website] on Monday upheld [text, PDF] last month’s re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta [official profile].

All six judges unanimously dismissed the two petitions as lacking merit.

The National Super Alliance (NASA) [official website] stated [Facebook post] in response to the ruling:

We in NASA had repeatedly declared before this Supreme Court ruling today that we consider this government to be illegitimate and do not recognize it. This position has not been changed by the Court ruling, which did not come as a surprise. It was a decision taken under duress. We do not condemn the Court, we sympathize with it.

Last week the court rejected [JURIST report] the participation of the main opposition coalition, NASA, in petitions challenging last month’s results. One petition was filed by former Kenya lawmaker Harun Mwau, challenging the presidential election was not free and fair, and the other was filed [JURIST reports] by human rights activists Njonjo Mue and Khelef Khalifa. Kenyatta rejected [JURIST report] the claims, stating they lacked merit as the election was credible, free and fair.

A full judgment will be issued within 21 days and Kenyatta is to be sworn in on November 28.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Montgomery started racially-integrated bus service after boycott

On December 21, 1956, buses in Montgomery, Alabama, started racially integrated service following federal court rulings ending on-board segregation. Bus boycott leaders Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and Rev. Ralph Abernathy were among the first riders under the new scheme. Learn about the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Stalin born

On December 21, 1879, Joseph Stalin was born in Gori, Georgia. In 1922, he became leader of the USSR until his death in 1953. During his time as Soviet dictator, Stalin industrialized his country, which he then led to become one of the world's two superpowers after WWII. Through his infamous purges, show trials and nationwide famines, Stalin also became responsible for millions of deaths.