IEBC stance on campaign cash cap to remain, court directs
Monied political aspirants got a reprieve yesterday after the High Court declined to set aside a Gazette Notice by the electoral commission removing campaign financing limits.
The orders, issued by Justice Antony Mrima (pictured), imply that politicians vying for various seats in the August 9 General-Election are free to splash millions on their campaigns until the court orders otherwise.
Justice Mrima declined to temporarily suspend the decision by IEBC and National Assembly to revoke the campaign finance spending guidelines until he hears a suit filed by three petitioners on March 7. “I will not suspend the revoked spending limits as sought for now. I take the stand that I have to first hear this case before granting any orders as some parties like the National Assembly, its Speaker and Attorney General are not in court today,” Mrima said.
Civil society groups namely Katiba Institute, Africa Centre for Open Governance and Transparency International and Philip Nyakundi, through lawyer Dudley Ochiel, had asked the judge to issue interim orders compelling IEBC to gazette the spending limits. In the case, the petitioners have sued the National Assembly and IEBC over the absence of campaign financing rules.
Judge, however, granted the AG, National Assembly and its Speaker seven days each to file their pleadings before March 7.
