City Lawyer demands use of Kiswahili during court session

There was a standoff at a Nairobi court yesterday when a lawyer demanded that the session be conducted in Kiswahili.
Harrison Kinyanjui, who represents activist Enock Aura, demanded that Justice Lawrence Mugambi of the Constitution and Human Rights Division conducts the proceedings in Kiswahili.
This was after the judge addressed the parties in English although Aura’s petition is filed in Kiswahili.
Kinyanjui stated that the petitioner had invoked Article 7 of the Constitution as well as Section 34(1) of the High Court Act which recognises the languages of the High Court as Kiswahili and English.
This was met with opposition from both Justice Mugambi and the advocates representing the Attorney General and the Chief Justice.
Kinyanjui insisted that the court should not to record anything said in English, arguing it would be a violation of the petitioner’s rights to be treated with dignity, having elected to file his case in Kiswahili.