NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 18 — The High Court has declared Raila Odinga’s Monday public Holiday non-existent in urgent suit filed by former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko.
“I have perused the pleadings and have not found any gazette notice by the Cabinet Secretary in charge of Interior declaring Monday a public holiday as per Section 3 of the public holiday’s act,” Justice Hedwig Ong’undi said Friday in preliminary findings.
She slated a mention for Tuesday to consider further arguments by parties.
Odinga unilaterally declared a public holiday on March 20 to allow Azimio members converge in the capital Nairobi for an anti-government protest march which the opposition said would culminate at State House.
Sonko sued Odinga for unlawfully taking away powers delegated to the Interior Cabinet Secretary in an application filed at 4pm on Friday.
The judge explained that the case filed by Sonko was of great public interest.
She directed pleadings be served on all the parties immediately ahead of the mention for further directions.
Odinga announced a ‘public holiday’ on March 14 saying his supporters would stage a major demonstration in the capital Nairobi over President William Ruto’s refusal to address electoral reforms demands.
He spoke in Siaya town during a baraza.
Odinga declined a request by National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) that pleaded with him to postpone the demonstration and give dialogue a chance.
“A group of clergies through NCCK want me to postpone the Monday protest march,” he told his supporters who disapproved the request in an acclamation.
Odinga had issued a 14-day ultimatum demanding Ruto to discontinue the recruitment of new IEBC commissioners.
He blamed the government for being unwilling to address the challenges including bringing down the high cost of living.
“Our protest will be very peaceful, we don’t want any violence to be associated with it,” he said.
The scheduled anti-government protest comes at a time Odinga has continued to dismiss Ruto’s presidency as illegitimate despite a Supreme Court judgement declaring the 2022 presidential election as credible.
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