Justice Ouko » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 31 — Supreme Court Judge William Ouko has placed President Uhuru Kenyatta at the core of the proposed constitutional amendments under the BBI process, dismissing asserts the process was instead promoted by two lawmakers.

Ouko who held that the President is barred from initiating constitutional reforms through popular initiative said the assertion that Dagoretti South MP Deniss Waweru and his Suna East counterpart Junet Muhammed was factually incorrect.

Justice Ouko concluded that the President’s involvement in initiating a popular initiative made the process invalid.

“The President cannot run with hares and hunt with the hounds,” Justice Ouko elaborated as he rendered his opinion on Thursday.

The judge noted that the BBI process was birthed after President Uhuru Kenyatta and his then archrival Raila Odinga agreed to end hostilities after the 2017 presidential election.

Justice Ouko affirmed the popular initiative is limited to the general public, dismissing arguments by BBI proponents who presented Waweru and Junet as the promoters of the constitutional amendment Bill invalidated by both the Constitutional Court and Court of Appeal.

On public participation, Justice Ouko held that promoters of the people conducted adequate public participation.

He also held that the electoral agency, IEBC, was quorate when it received and considered the constitutional amendment Bill from BBI promoters.