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The Kenyan High Court ruled last month that the constitutional reform proposed by President Uhuru Kenyatta was illegal.
The Kenyan government has officially challenged ruling The country’s high court said last month that the constitutional reform proposed by President Uhuru Kenyatta was illegal.
On May 14, the court rejected extensive constitutional reforms commonly known as the “Bridge Building Initiative” (BBI), which was a blow to Kenyatta and its allies, who hoped to put the amendments into practice before next year’s elections. Referendum.
In a formal appeal filed to the court on Wednesday, Deputy Attorney General Kennedy Ogeto stated that the five-member judge had “made a mistake” in determining that the president was not authorized to take the lead in making such amendments.
The government’s senior lawyer argued in the appeal document seen by Agence France-Presse that the High Court’s conclusion is that Kenyatta can also be prosecuted in his personal capacity for taking such actions, which is also incorrect.
The Court of Appeal will start hearing the case on June 29.
The BBI proposal specifically seeks to expand the executive branch, and its supporters call it an attempt to curb the cycle of violence related to the election in Kenya. This problem is attributed to the existing winner-takes-all election system.
It will create 70 new constituencies, return the role of cabinet ministers to elected members of parliament, and create several powerful new posts: a prime minister, two deputies and an official leader of the parliamentary opposition.
The movement grew out of an alliance between Kenyatta and his political enemy Raila Odinga after violent clashes broke out in the 2017 controversial elections.
The BBI has been approved by Parliament and has dominated Kenya’s politics ever since, and when Kenyatta and Odinga toured the country to gain support for the initiative, it was on board even during the coronavirus pandemic. The front page of the newspaper.
Critics believe that the move is to create the post of prime minister for Kenyatta, who cannot seek a third term in 2022.
His deputy William Ruto (many people think he will succeed Kenyatta in 2022) opposed the reforms and was excluded because of the political relationship between the president and Odinga.
Some people believe that adopting reforms will increase the burden on a country that is already struggling with debt, because they will push up the parliament’s sky-high wage bill while creating more opportunities for patronage and corruption.
In a televised speech on Tuesday, Kenyatta stated that the High Court’s opposition to the BBI amounts to “an attempt to block the will of the people”.
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