Reprieve for NGOs in Sh178 million president Uhuru Kenyatta suit

NAIROBI, KENYA: The Court of Appeal has temporarily stopped President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy William Ruto and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) from demanding more than Sh178 million from a local human rights organisation.

Three judges issued the order Wednesday following an application by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC).

The order will, by implication, also stop them from demanding similar amounts from two other non-governmental organisations which attempted to have Uhuru and Ruto barred from holding public office early last year. The other NGOs are International Centre for Policy and Conflict and the International Commission of Jurists Kenya.

They had filed high-profile petitions in November 2012 seeking a declaration that the nomination of Uhuru and Ruto to contest the presidency would be a violation of the Constitution, following confirmation of their charges by the International Criminal Court.

They wanted IEBC barred from accepting their nomination. The petitions were consolidated and heard by a Bench of five High Court judges. They dismissed the cases on the basis that they had no legal power to determine the matter since it was in regard to presidential elections, which could only be determined by the Supreme Court. They however ruled the two leaders and IEBC had been defending several petitions in court and were therefore entitled to costs from the NGOs.