Skip to main content

MUHURI threatens to go to court if JSC fails to dismiss Court Of Appeal judges Githinji, Koome and Sichale.




By Peter Kombe 

Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI), a civil rights crusader based in Mombasa has threatened to go to court if the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) fails to dismiss three Court of Appeal judges Erastus Githinji Martha Koome and Fatuma Sichale.

The lobby alleges that the three judges breached the law after quashing a ruling by Justice George Odunga over the appointment of 290 constituencies’ returning officers and their deputies in 2017. 

Addressing the media in Mombasa on Monday Muslims for Human Rights board chairperson Khelef Khalifa said “The independence of the judiciary is being questioned by the fact that the conducts of justices Githinji, Koome and Sichale are not being investigated.

Justice George Odunga had earlier ruled that the appointment of the officers had been surrounded with illegalities.

“We averred the process that led to their appointment failed to follow the laid down procedures of the law. Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission ignored the need for transparency and accountability in the process,” Khelef said.

According to Khelef, IEBC violated the provisions of Regulation 3 of the Elections (General) Regulations, 2012.

Mr Khalifa claimed the three judges quashed Odunga’s ruling without holding any sitting and issued their orders.

According to the NGO the day the judges issued the orders had been gazetted as a public holiday, and that the trio was not based in Nairobi at the time of quashing the ruling.

“Justice Githinji was in Kisumu, Koome in Malindi and Sichale in Nyeri. The three could not therefore, be at the same place given the short notice,” he said.

Khelef Khalifa says through their lawyer Evans Oruenjo on April 19 last year, the NGO submitted a number of complaints to JSC over the conduct of the three judge bench.

The chair further argued JSC delayed the response in a letter dated October 25 2017 to request for a CCTV footage of the court premises between 2 pm and 6pm the material day.

He said JSC only tackled the CCTV section claiming the Supreme Court where the judges allegedly sat had no cameras.

“Through our lawyer Evans Oruenjo, we have written another letter to the JSC to have the complaints reevaluated and pertinent issues raised and addressed,” he said.

According to him, JSC failed to address pertinent issues that bring to the limelight the conduct of the three judges.

Khelef claims the judges did not sit on the contested day, there were no court proceeding of the alleged sitting by the three judges and that the three judges allegedly heard an appeal that was never certified as urgent among other issues.

On October, 19 2017 MUHURI went to court to challenge the High Court through lawyer Evans Oruenjo on the appointment of 290 constituency returning officers and their deputies.






Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Involve all stakeholders when proposing new laws- BOTTAX General Secretary petitions government

BOTTAX General Secretary Cynthia Wanyonyi Photo (courtesy) BY PETER KOMBE Kenya Boda Boda Tuk Tuk and Taxi Workers Union (BOTTAX Kenya) has faulted the government on claims of passing bills that do not favor the transport sector. Speaking to the media in Mombasa on Monday the union’s General Secretary Cynthia Wanyonyi said in most cases the government does not involve boda boda Tuk Tuk and other informal transport worker's representatives. She further noted that as stakeholders in the public transport sector the government fails to carry out effective public participation exercises as enshrined in the Kenyan constitution. “The government does not involve the public when making certain decisions,” she noted. Wanyonyi urged both the operators to register with the union to avoid being misled by what she claims are quack organisations. She urged the department concerned with registering cooperatives and other associations touching on the informal trans...

MALONZA AIDHINISHWA

Sasa ni afueni kwa waziri mteule wa utalii Peninah Malonza baada ya bunge la kitaifa kuidhinisha majina yote ya mawaziri wateule ikiwemo la Bi. Malonza. Malonza alinusuriwa baada ya bunge kukataa pendekezo la kamati hiyo kuwa asiidhinishwe. Wabunge wa mrengo wa Kenya Kwanza, waliunga mkono kuidhinishwa kwa Malonza, wakisema ana tajiriba ya kutosha na anapaswa kupewa fursa ya kuhudumu. Sasa majina ya mawaziri wateule walioidhinishwa yatawasilishwa kwa rais kwa uteuzi rasmi.

Mombasa county government commits ksh 3.5 million on FP in 2018-2019 financial year- says County adolescent coordinator

County AYSR coordinator Baraka Imani facilitating the session at Pride Inn Mombasa on Tuesday Photo by Peter Kombe   BY PETER KOMBE The county government of Mombasa has committed a financial kitty of ksh 3.5 million to boost family planning in the 2018 2019 financial year. The funds according to the county adolescent coordinator Baraka Imani will addressing some of the challenges that Mombasa locals face on issues of family planning. “The county government has committed a total of 3.5 million to boost FP uptake in Mombasa county” Baraka Imani county adolescent coordinator said Out of the 3.5 million the county has committed, a total of ksh 500,000 targets Adolescents’ Young and Sexual Reproductive Health (AYSRH) Speaking to the media in Mombasa on Tuesday Mombasa County adolescent and youth sexual reproductive officer Baraka Imani said the county is currently implementing two programs including family planning and AYSRH. “A total of ksh 500,000 has tar...