CJ appoints three judges to hear Kethi case

NAIROBI, Kenya Jul 13 – High Court Judges Weldon Korir, Mumbi Ngugi and Richard Mwongo have been appointed to the three judge bench that will hear Kethi Kilonzo’s petition against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Gladys Sholei has told Capital FM News that the three High Court Judges who have been appointed by Chief Justice Willy Mutunga will hold their first sitting on Monday morning.
The three takes over from Justice Isaac Lenaola who pulled out of the case, saying he was uncomfortable hearing the case filed by lawyer Kethi Kilonzo who wants to be reinstated to vie for the Makueni seat.
Kethi and the Wiper Democratic Movement want the High Court to reverse the decision by the IEBC tribunal that locked her out of the July 26th by-election.
During Thursday’s court session, Lenaola also ordered that the Makueni Senate seat be pushed from July 22 to July 26 in order to give the bench time to hear and rule on the petition.

Justice Lenaola was unable to push the by-election much further than July 27 given Article 101 sub-article 4(b) of the constitution states, “A by-election shall be held within ninety days of the occurrence of the vacancy,” and the late Makueni Senator, Mutula Kilonzo, passed away on April 27.

Her most significant prayer however, is that the High Court quash a ruling by the IEBC Nominations Dispute Resolution Committee that barred her from defending the Makueni Senate seat left vacant by her father the late Mutula Kilonzo.

On Monday, the committee ruled that Kethi could not contest the Makueni Senate seat as her voter registration status was questionable.

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