Uhuru lists 17 reasons why Appellate Court must overturn ruling invalidating BBI – KBC

President Uhuru Kenyatta has made his case against the decision by the High Court to declare the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) process null and void.

In a case filed at the Court of Appeal, the Head of State expressed his dissatisfaction with the ruling made by Justices Joel Ngugi, Chacha Mwita, Jairus Ngaah, George Odunga, and Teresiah Matheka on May 13, 2020, and that there are sufficient grounds to reverse their decision.

From the outset, President Kenyatta is categorical that the determination by the Learned Judges was without foundation. In his opinion, the judges acted contrary to the rules of natural justice by making a decision adversely affecting him yet he was not a party to the proceedings.

“The Learned Judges erred in fact and in law by failing to find that the Appellant (President Uhuru Kenyatta), although named as a party to the suit, was not or ceased to be a party to the subsequent proceedings in the suit made by the election of the respondents in the petition,” He said

According to Uhuru, the five judges violated article 50 of the Constitution, to a higher degree, by denying him a fair hearing.

In fact, President Kenyatta reiterates to the Appellate Court that the judges contravened the law of the land by denying him equal protection and equal benefits of the law.

“The learned judges erred in law and in fact in finding that there was a preliminary issue to be determined as to whether the Appellant can be sued in his personal capacity and not as the President of the Republic of Kenya,” President Kenyatta told the Court in his appeal

While expressing dismay over a decision by the judges to put him at the center of the petition, the Head of State insists that the suit that had been launched against him by those opposed to the BBI had been abandoned and ceased to exist prior to the commencement of the proceedings that led to the invalidation of the BBI process.

“There was no issue to be determined in the case or petition between the Appellant and any respondents in this appeal as framed in part 3 of the judgment,” He said

He also wonders why the judges proceeded to hear and determined issues, which he says, had already been dispensed with by a competent court of concurrent jurisdiction.

What’s more, he laments the decision by the High Court to introduce matters that appear to question his integrity by virtue of the BBI process.

“The judges erred in making a declaration that the Appellant has contravened Chapter Six of the Constitution…by initiating and promoting a constitutional process,” The President stated in the appeal.

Over and above this, Uhuru noted that the judges failed to appreciate the extent of the constitutional doctrine of Presidential immunity granted by Article 143.

He vehemently faulted the finding by the judges indicating that as President, he (Uhuru Kenyatta) can be sued in a civil court in his personal capacity during his tenure in office.

The appeal by the Head of State comes at a time the country awaits the way forward on the BBI process. This will be known Wednesday when the Court of Appeal holds a Case Management Conference.

The conference shall provide an opportunity for the court to issue appropriate directions on various issues including the viability of hearing the substantive appeals, the length of submissions to be filed, the amount of time required for parties to prepare and exchange submissions as well as the logistical issues relating to the hearing of the applications/appeals.