'Time to move on' Kenyans say after court upholds Ruto win

Jubilant supporters of Kenya's president-elect William Ruto took to the streets after his election victory was upheld by the Supreme Court, with many ordinary people voicing hope the country could now move on.

In Ruto's Rift Valley home village of Sugoi, large crowds of people were dancing in celebration, waving posters declaring "The 5th President" and thanking God for his victory in the close-fought August 9 election.

The 55-year-old Ruto will become Kenya's fifth president since independence from colonial ruler Britain when he is sworn in on September 13.

In other towns, people turned out wearing the bright yellow of Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, chanting, banging plastic buckets and blowing vuvuzelas.

Ruto had cast himself as a champion for the downtrodden during his election campaign, promising to create jobs and tackle a cost-of-living crisis that has left many Kenyans struggling to put food on the table.

The atmosphere was more sombre in the stronghold of Ruto's defeated election rival Raila Odinga, who was licking his wounds after his fifth failed bid for the presidency.

Kenya is the most dynamic economy in East Africa but many are suffering deep hardship, with prices for basic goods skyrocketing and unemployment a major problem particularly among the youth.