Eminent African Judges arrive in Kenya to scrutinize election petition

By Our Correspondent, NAIROBI Kenya

A delegation of Seasoned Judges from across Africa have arrived in Nairobi Kenya to carefully scrutinize the ongoing election petition at the country’s Supreme Court.

The Jurists are Members of the Africa Judges and Jurists Forum (AJJF).

The Trial Observation Mission is headed by the Retired Chief Justice of Tanzania Mohammed Chande Othman.

The delegation is composed of Lady Justice Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza of the Supreme Court of Uganda, Lady Justice Ivy Kamanga from Supreme Court of Appeal of Malawi, Justice Moses Chinhengo from Court of Appeal, Lesotho, and Justice Henry Boissie Mbha, President Electoral Court of South Africa.

The eminent jurists will attend all Supreme Court hearings, monitor and document the presidential election petition based on International human rights standards of fair trial standards, analyse the role and independence of the Judiciary in examining the electoral disputes and review the socio-political climate in the run-up to the Petition.

At the end of the trial observation, the observers will develop a comprehensive report aiming at contributing to a more professional, independent, impartial, and accountable Judiciary, a more independent legal profession, and better adherence to the rule of law and international legal standards concerning the resolution of electoral disputes.

The Observation Mission will include bilateral meetings before the hearings with the Parties to the Petition, including the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP), and the Attorney General.

The meetings aim to introduce the eminent jurists to the stakeholders of the Petition and make them aware of the process and its modalities. - Africa