Jubilee leaders slam Supreme Court over judgment

Traders at Kamukunji market in Nyeri listen on radio to Supreme Court judgement. [Mose Sammy, Standard]

Party members say they are unhappy that the judges had no justifiable reasons to overturn Uhuru’s win.

Leaders from Jubilee Party expressed their displeasure with the manner in which the Supreme Court annulled the August 8 presidential election.

Led by Deputy President William Ruto, the leaders criticised the Supreme Court judges who invalidated President Uhuru Kenyatta’s win, arguing they had no justifiable reasons to do so.

Mr Ruto took to Twitter after Chief Justice David Maraga and his Deputy Philomena Mwilu read their judgements in full, saying the Supreme Court had no grounds to overturn the will of the people.

“Evidently, a supreme coup on sovereign will of the people was executed on basis of technicalities against their verdict captured in ballots,” the DP tweeted.

Jubilee Senate Leader of Majority and Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen wondered how a direction issued by the Supreme Court to verify forms 34A would be effected.

“The Supreme Court now says IEBC chairman must verify 40K forms 34A but after verifying should not alter. IMPOSSIBLE & RIDICULOUS,” tweeted Murkomen.

“Supreme Court has got it wrong on everything: Election process, how technology works and evidence law. The decision was made and reasons sought later,” tweeted the vocal senator.

Something overwhelming

Belgut MP Nelson Koech told The Standard he was disappointed with the full ruling, saying he expected something overwhelming considering the cost implications of overturning the August 8 poll results.

“I expected the CJ, his deputy and other judges who agreed to annul Uhuru’s win to be detailed and have new things. But all they told us was what we already knew. They just glossed over the issues that led to the cancellation of the presidential election,” said Mr Koech.

“The Deputy CJ made matters worse as she seemed to have a problem pronouncing some words in her judgement, making it seem like it had been prepared elsewhere and she was seeing it for the first time,” added the MP.

Lawyers Abdikadir Mohammed, also the President’s adviser on legal and constitutional affairs, and Ahmednasir Abdullahi also criticised the full judgement.

“SHOCKING... How do you annul an entire Nation's SOVEREIGN WILL on a few questions raised about PROCESS!!!” tweeted Mr Mohammed.

Mr Abdullahi, who represented Uhuru in the case, said: “In the majority judgement... not even a single sentence said on the thousands of documents HE Uhuru submitted as evidence... nothing... nothing.”