A court in Kenya says it will rule next month on whether to overturn a verdict that scuttled disputed plans to change the constitution ahead of next year’s election.
Nairobi – Kenya’s appeals court said on Friday it would rule next month on whether to overturn a verdict that scuttled disputed plans to change the constitution ahead of next year’s election.
Fronted by President Uhuru Kenyatta, the reforms seek notably to expand the executive in what is billed as an attempt to curb poll violence that has been blamed on the current winner-takes-all electoral system.
But the Nairobi High Court ruled in May that the changes – popularly known as the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) – were illegal and that Kenyatta did not have the right to initiate them.
Court of Appeal President Daniel Musinga announced the date of August 20 for the ruling at the end of a four-day hearing.
A seven-judge panel will now retreat to draw up its judgement in the appeal that pitted some of the country’s top lawyers against each other.
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The reforms had been approved by parliament on May 11 and were to be put to a referendum, before they were declared illegal by the high court two days later.
Critics charge that the proposals seek to create a prime ministerial post for Kenyatta, who is not allowed to seek a third term as president in 2022.
His deputy William Ruto – who many tipped to succeed Kenyatta in 2022 – opposes the reforms and has been sidelined as the president has forged a political relationship with veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga.
If adopted, the BBI would also create 70 new parliamentary constituencies and an official office of the opposition leader in parliament.
The East African country is barely 13 months away from a general election but because of the court process, some pro-reform politicians have started calling for the vote to be postponed.
However, the electoral body said on Friday that the poll will go ahead on August 9 next year as enshrined in the constitution.
Source: AFP
Picture: Getty Image
