Court sets hearing dates for election date petition

Written By:Vincent Lempaa/Nicholas Kigondu,    Posted: Tue, Mar 27, 2012

The Supreme Court had declined to rule on a date for the elections Anxiety surrounding the date of the next general elections might soon come to a close after the court of appeal set April 4th and 5th as the hearing dates for a petition filed by a group of women seeking to quash the decision made by the High Court. The case was filed at the court of appeal after Justices Isaac Lenaola, Mumbi Ngugi and Majaja Shigomere failed to give a definite date on when the next general elections will be held. The case will be heard by a three judge bench comprising of Justices Martha Koome, Hannah okwengu and Samuel Bosire. The Supreme Court had declined to rule on a date for the elections, stoking voter unease over moves by the government to amend a polling timeline already endorsed by a referendum. The judges presented two scenarios that the election be held in March next year or the principals dissolve the coalition government to pave way for an earlier election. And after an appeal  by the group of women failed to kick off last week, court of appeal Presiding judge justice Riaga Amollo has now set the case for the 4th and 5th of next month. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission set 4th of March next year as the date for the next general election saying it had become apparent that President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga could not agree on an earlier date. IEBC Chairman Isaack Hassan noted that the electoral team had made wide consultations on the touchy matter with several leaders including the two principals before settling on a March 2013 poll. Under the constitution, Kenya was due to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on August 14 2012.