Kenya Goes to Poll Thursday Amidst Apprehension

Kenya Goes to Poll Thursday Amidst Apprehension

All seems set for Kenya to vote Thursday to decide who becomes its number one citizen. Last-minute effort to frustrate the election failed Wednesday when the Supreme Court was unable to reach a quorum.

Kenya Supreme Court scheduled Wednesday, to hear a petition, filed on Sunday, which raised question on the readiness of the Independent Election and Boundary Commission (IEBC) to conduct a presidential election on Thursday.

But the Court could not form a quorum to take any decision against the election as planned.

Kenya Chief Justice David Maraga, said the Court could not hear the petition as only two of seven judges were present in court. At least five judges are needed to form a quorum.

“This matter cannot be heard this morning,” Maraga said.

Maraga said his deputy, Philomena Mwilu, could not attend Court sitting after her bodyguard was shot on Tuesday evening.

Petitioner, Khelef Khalifa of Muslims for Human Rights had said, Tuesday: “We are hoping they, (Court) will cancel elections on October 26,”.

Khalifa filed the petition at the Supreme Court alongside Samwel Mohochi of the Kenya branch of the International Commission of Jurists, and Gacheke Gachihi — also known as Nahashon Kamau — of the Mathare Social Justice Centre in Nairobi, citing several arguments for delaying the vote.

However, Kenya High Court on Wednesday said the appointment of 290 constituency returning officers, who analyze the ballot, had not been done in accordance with the constitution.

But the Court said quashing their appointment would create a “crisis of unimaginable magnitude”, so the decision is unlikely to impact Thursday’s election.