‘Respect courts’ – Mudavadi tells Kenyans after High Court ruling on BBI

ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi has warned Kenyans against disparaging the courts following a High Court ruling on the BBI referendum.

In a statement he made on Saturday, Mudavadi urged those who feel aggrieved to follow proper channels such as appealing to higher courts rather than belittling the Judiciary.

He says attacking the Judiciary is veering off from the solemn duty of adhering to the rule of law.

“Kenya is a democracy built on the basic tenets of separation of powers, checks and balances and respect for the rule of law. It is therefore imperative that from the onset, we accept and respect the decision of our courts,” he said.

The ANC party leader added that the next course of action should keep in mind the constitutional timelines given that crucial amendments must be effected before the next General Elections.

As such, Mudavadi notes that the proposal for 70 more constituencies might fail to take effect if the amendments are not made before the next polls.

Mudavadi has called for an all-inclusive national dialogue that will chart a proper way forward for the nation in a manner that will enhance consensus and unity.

He says the court ruling comes with a silver lining that must be identified and be exhausted before it is too late.

The ANC boss recommends that focus should turn to issues that can be amended through a Parliamentary initiative rather than a national referendum.

“The agenda of this dialogue should be to re-look at the Bill and identify those issues-like restructuring of the IEBC to make it fit for purpose- which are otherwise good for our nation and which do not require a national referendum,” he added.

Remarks by Mudavadi comes a day after he faulted the High Court ruling saying they were inconsiderate of public interest.

Speaking in Kajiado on Friday, Mudavadi said the five-judge bench should have prioritized public interest first in their determination of the case.

The bench on Thursday issued a permanent injunction to the IEBC from making any processes with regards to amending the constitution of Kenya.

The five ruled that the process followed in the Constitutional Amendment Bill,2020, were illegal and declared the whole exercise null and void.