Aukot, Wainaina allowed to join Raila suit on Uhuru win, AG joins by skin of his teeth

Attorney General Githu Muigai at the Supreme Court on Saturday/MOSES MUOKI

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 27 – Ekuru Aukot and Michael Wainaina who contested in the August 8 presidential election have been enjoined as interested parties to the suit filed by another contender, Raila Odinga, contesting President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election.

When delivering their ruling on Sunday night, the Supreme Court judges gave as their reason, the personal stakes the two have in the outcome of the petition.

“Wainaina having been a candidate in the just concluded General Election has shown a personal stake in the matter,” Supreme Court judge Njoki Ndungu read out as their reason.

Attorney General Githu Muigai and the Law Society of Kenya have also been enjoined as friends of the court but within certain parameters.

“We noticed that quite a number of issues that the Attorney General wishes to address us on are already covered by counsel who are appearing in this matter so in the circumstances, we allow the Attorney General to appear as Amicus Curiae but limit him to one issue: what was the effect of jurisprudence initiated by the Court of Appeal in the case of IEBC versus Maina Kiai and others,” Chief Justice David Maraga stated.

Lawyer Charles Kanjama’s application to be joined as amicus was however denied after Odinga, President Kenyatta and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission all opposed it.

Several other applications for joinder to the suit were denied.

About The Author

OLIVE BURROWS

With a decade of storytelling under her belt, Olive Burrows has been with Capital FM for the last four years and perhaps most notably interviewed US President Barack Obama. Committed to asking the hard questions and telling the story in the most engaging way possible, she has also interviewed Melinda Gates, a UK Minister and severally had the opportunity to sit across from President Uhuru Kenyatta and address the pressing issues of the day. Other notables she has had occasion to seek answers from are UN Secretary General António Guterres and John Kerry in his time as US Secretary of State.

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