NAIROBI: Veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga of Kenya rejected the results of the presidential election on August 9 that named his primary competitor, the in-office Deputy President, William Ruto, as the victor, and threatened to challenge the results in court.

The 77-year-old Odinga, who was seeking the presidency for a record fifth time on behalf of the Azimio La Umoja (Resolution for Unity)-One Kenya Coalition, expressed his lack of confidence in the results of the fiercely contested elections.

He said that when the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) pronounced Ruto the victor, it did so in violation of the constitution and failed to uphold the spirit of consensus.

Odinga specifically criticised IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati for making judgments about the announcement of the outcome of the presidential election on his own.

He added by saying that Chebukati and a small number of commissioners violated electoral laws and established protocols in order to declare Ruto the fifth president-elect. He said, "In our perspective, neither a legally and validly declared winner nor a President-Elect," adding that his political formation would use legal and constitutional methods to have the presidential election results invalidated.

Ruto, 55, was declared the victor of Kenya's presidential election after receiving around 7.17 million votes, or 50.49 percent of all valid ballots cast. His followers in his strongholds rejoiced, but those of Odinga in western Kenya and Nairobi were outraged.

Deputy President William Ruto wins Kenya's presidential election

Kenya election: media results differ after 10 million ballots have been counted

Erdogan, Guterres to meet Zelenskyy in Ukraine this week