Chief Justice David Maraga has cautioned politicians against intimidating the courts.
Mr Maraga’s statement came on a day Opposition leader Raila Odinga insisted that presidential results announced at constituency level were final. Maraga said politicians should steer clear of Judiciary affairs as a way of respecting its independence. He was responding to National Super Alliance (NASA) leaders who have warned the Court of Appeal against overturning a ruling that presidential results declared by the returning officer at the constituency are final.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) appealed against the High Court’s decision.
Yesterday, the CJ added that there was no way judges and magistrates would be intimidated into making rulings in favour of bullies.
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Based on facts
“Politicians, let the Judiciary do its work. We do not want statements that are meant to intimidate judicial officers. Judges and magistrates will not determine cases on what is said but based on the law and facts,” said the CJ during the swearing-in of Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu as a member of the Judicial Service Commission.
NASA leaders Raila and Kalonzo Musyoka said their supporters would take to the streets in the event the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of IEBC on the question over who should declare the final results of a presidential poll.
According to Maraga, a total 250 cases were filed before the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal and 32 aspirants who lost following the tribunal’s verdict appealed in the High Court.
IEBC deadline
He said all the nomination disputes would be cleared before the IEBC deadline.
Raila said appealing to the High Court on the matter was tantamount to “taking Kenyans back to Egypt, which they had left” in terms of electoral practices.
He questioned how IEBC officials sitting in Nairobi would be able to ascertain each constituency’s results, adding that the returning officer at constituency level should be accountable.
