High Court sets aside three days to hear security law case

The High Court has allocated three days to hear the case challenging the contentious security law.

A five judge bench will from January 28 to 30 listen to arguments and counter arguments from legal minds drawn from the opposition party Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD), the ruling Jubilee Coalition and from the Attorney General's office as to whether the law passed by the Parliament and assented to by President Uhuru Kenyatta was in contravention with the constitution.

The ruling coalition and the opposition are expected to lock horns, this time on legal grounds, in a bid to win favour from the judges drawn from various divisions of the court.

The bench will either declare the security Act to be against the law of the land or give it a clean bill of health.

During a mention Thursday, Justice Lenaola directed that CORD and Kenya National Humans Rights Commission on one side of the case and The Attorney General Githu Muigai, on the other and the interested parties together with the friends of the court to file their submissions by January 21 in preparation of the hearing.

CORD in its petition maintains that the Security Laws (Amendment) Act 2014 signed by President Uhuru Kenyatta infringes on individual rights.

The court heard that the law, as passed by the National Assembly, contravened the Bill of Rights provided for in the Constitution.

On the other hand, the AG defended the same saying it has given security personnel the ability to counter terror activities and if it is shelved, it will mean Kenyans will be left at the mercy of the perpetrators.

The court had already suspended some sections of the law triggering an appeal to challenge the ruling by Justice George Odunga.

Judges Isaac Lenaola, Mumbi Ngugi, Hillary Chemitei, Hedwig Ong'udi and Joseph Onguto will hear the case.