Judge Isaac Lenaola gave the directive when the case lodged by five Jubilee MPs came up for mention and directions/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 5 – The High Court has extended orders barring the CORD coalition and its supporters from storming offices of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission offices to force the Issack Hassan-led team out of office.
Judge Isaac Lenaola gave the directive when the case lodged by five Jubilee MPs came up for mention and directions.
Justice Lenaola warned against defying the court order and directed parties to appear in court on May 26 when the matter will be argued.
“Whoever interferes with the constitutional mandate of the IEBC will face the full force of the law,” he cautioned.
The CORD coalition which has been named as respondent in the matter gave the proceedings a wide berth as no advocate appeared in court to defend the suit.
Senator James Orengo had claimed that the Opposition will not participate in the proceedings moments after the court stopped any attempts to forcefully remove IEBC Commissioners out of office when the case was filed.
Orengo accused judge Lenaola of having a predetermined mind while issuing the order.
The Jubilee affiliated legislators moved to court after CORD said it intends to storm the offices of the electoral commission every successive Monday from May 9 should the IEBC commissioners currently in office refuse to resign.
The legislators insist that the existing commissioners have a constitutionally set term of office of six years and should not be forced to resign, be unconstitutionally removed and the latter reconstituted.
In response, to the suit IEBC wants the court to direct the commissioners to abide by Article 91 which provides the mode of removal of a member of a commissioner or a holder of an independent office.
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