Tribunal ready for party disputes

By DAVE OPIYO dopiyo@ke.nationmedia.comPosted Monday, December 27 2010 at 21:00

In Summary

• Gicheru appoints team to resolve conflict among political parties on a five-year contract

The team to resolve disputes among political parties is now in place.

This follows the gazettment of the names of three individuals who will sit in the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal.

They were gazetted by Chief Justice Evan Gicheru, who under the Political Parties Act, is tasked with constituting the three-member tribunal.

According to a Kenya Gazette notice dated December 24, the tribunal will be headed by Mr Peter Simani, with Mr Chacha Odera and the Rev Jessie Mutura as members.

They will undertake their duties for a five-year term. The names were approved by Parliament in November. According to the Political Parties Act, the chair must be qualified to be a judge of the High Court.

It must also have two other members “of high moral standing and integrity, one of whom shall be an advocate of the High Court of Kenya of five years standing”.

Civil servants and active party supporters are ineligible for appointment. A member of the tribunal may be dismissed by the Chief Justice if they are declared bankrupt, convicted of a criminal offence, incapacitated or unable or “unfit to discharge the functions of his office”

The rules governing its work are determined by the Chief Justice. Its decisions must be rendered within three months of the lodging of a dispute and its decisions are final.

MPs had said the absence of the tribunal meant parties could only appeal against decisions by the Registrar of Political Parties in the High Court, which had proved to be a “difficult and costly” affair.