Election dispute big test for Kenya's top judge, who once said Kenya needs Odinga as president

NAIROBI, Kenya – Confidence was so low in Kenya's courts during the country's deadly 2007-08 post-election violence people preferred to fight in the streets.

There has been no violence following this year's election, in part because of the faith the country has in its highest ranking judge.

Chief Justice Willy Mutunga will soon hear the biggest case of his short judicial career. Last weekend the country's election commission named Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta the winner of the March 4 presidential election with 50.07 percent of the vote. Prime Minister Raila Odinga is challenging that result, saying there has been massive rigging.

One quote from Mutunga may come to have bearing on the case. He is quoted in the 2006 book "Raila Odinga" as saying Kenya "needs Raila" as president.