Police Officers stationed outside the Supreme Court building in riot gear/MOSES MUOKI
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 18 – Security has been heightened at the Supreme Court ahead of the midnight deadline for filing of presidential petitions.
About a dozen anti-riot police officers had been deployed to secure the crucial court by midday Friday even as the Nairobi police boss Japheth assured of calm.
“All is well. There’s no cause for alarm. That’s all I can say,” Koome said while declining to comment further.
The National Super Alliance (NASA) is expected to file a petition challenging President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election after its leader, Raila Odinga, questioned the authenticity of results declared by the electoral commission on Friday.
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Nairobi County Commander Japheth Koome at the Supreme Court precincts on Friday/MOSES MUOKI
Odinga said during a press conference on Wednesday that NASA had taken the decision to seek legal redress – despite having ruled out the possibility of going to court – after the NGO Co-ordination Board ordered the closure of two Civil Society Organisations, directives later reversed by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi.
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Anxious members of the public who spoke to Capital FM News outside the Supreme Court expressed confidence in the ability of the court to resolve the electoral dispute while lauding Odinga’s move to seek legal redress.
“It is good that Raila decided to move to court. We only hope he does so before time elapses,” John Mucheru, one of the Kenyans who waited outside the court said.
“There is still more time to file a petition although he wasn’t clear from the beginning,” he added.
According to Mucheru, the Supreme Court, under the leadership of Chief Justice David Maraga, will give a fair ruling based on the evidence placed before it for scrutiny.
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