A High-Level Panel of Eminent African Jurists has arrived in Kenya to observe the proceedings of the 2022 presidential election petition expected to commence tomorrow at the Supreme Court.
The eminent jurists will attend all Supreme Court hearings, monitor and document the presidential election petition based on International human rights standards of fair trial standards, analyze the role and independence of the Judiciary in examining the electoral disputes and review the socio-political climate in the run-up to the Petition.
The Jurists are Members of the Africa Judges and Jurists Forum (AJJF) drawn from different African countries.
The 2022 Trial Observation Mission is headed by the Rtd Chief Justice of the Republic of Tanzania, Hon. Justice Mohammed Chande Othman.
Other delegation members include Hon. Lady Justice Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza of the Supreme Court of Uganda, Hon. Lady Justice Ivy Kamanga from Supreme Court of Appeal of Malawi, Justice Moses Chinhengo from Court of Appeal, Lesotho, and Justice Henry Boissie Mbha, President Electoral Court of South Africa.
At the end of the trial observation, the observers will develop a comprehensive report aiming at contributing to a more professional, independent, impartial, and accountable Judiciary, a more independent legal profession, and better adherence to the rule of law and international legal standards concerning the resolution of electoral disputes.
The Observation Mission will include bilateral meetings before the hearings with the Parties to the Petition, including the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP), and the Attorney General.
The meetings aim to introduce the eminent jurists to the stakeholders of the Petition and make them aware of the process and its modalities.