Harare,Zimbabwe(News of the South)-Parties to the petition challenging the election of President Uhuru Kenyatta at the Supreme Court yesterday finished their submissions, leaving Kenyans waiting on the decision of the five men and two women who make the Bench in the highest court in the land.

Chief Justice David Maraga and his team of six judges were this morning expected to retire into private sessions to consider the arguments and documents presented in court, and make a decision on former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s petition challenging the declaration of Mr Kenyatta as winner of the August 8, 2017 presidential election by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Justice Maraga and his team have until Friday to peruse more than 50,000 pages of documents filed by the parties to the petition and deliver a judgment that will determine whether Mr Kenyatta shall be sworn in for a second term as president, or order a fresh election.

The closing arguments yesterday marked the end of 11 days of intense hearings and applications featuring close to 20 lawyers.

Attorney-General Githu Muigai and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) were enjoined in the suit as Amicus Curiae (friends of the court) while two contestants in the presidential polls — Michael Wainaina and Ekuru Aukot — were granted appearance as interested parties.

Mr Odinga and his running mate, Kalonzo Musyoka, filed a 25,000-page petition on August 18 alleging gross violation of election procedures and manipulation of figures in favour of the incumbent, Mr Kenyatta.-Business Daily