Kalonzo, Mt Kenya region Ward Reps fault High Court decision
By People Team, May 17, 2021
More stakeholders have poked holes in the High Court ruling on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
Some, however, warned against personalised attacks on the judges who issued the verdict.
Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka said that while he disagreed with the ruling, judges must be accorded respect.
Disagreements
“Personally, I do not agree with the judgment. But I cannot vilify the judges. We must exercise restraint from anything that could plunge the nation in a crisis,” said Kalonzo.
The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) also urged Kenyans to carefully interrogate the High Court verdict.
NCCK Nairobi County Coordinating committee reiterated the need for the Executive and the Judiciary to respect the doctrine of separation of powers.
“We resonate together with the Constitution on the need to adhere to the rule of law,’’ the chairman of the committee Alphonse Kanga told the press at Ufungamano House.
At the same time, MCAs from eight Mt Kenya counties said the region would lose a lot if the Appeals court upholds the High Court ruling.
The Nyeri, Nakuru, Tharaka Nithi, Murang’a, Meru, Laikipia, Kiambu and Embu MCAs said BBI had enhanced the region’s political representation at the county and national level.
Speaking in Nyeri yesterday, they said the region would lose 17 additional parliamentary seats.
“These proposals would have seen the region closer to the one man, one vote, one shilling principle that is the foundation of democracy,” Nyeri’s Julia Wanjiku said.
Settle scores
Nakuru County Assembly Speaker Joel Kairu urged the Appellate court to overturn the decision saying it was a threat to the sovereign powers of the people.
Kairu said the judgment was a clear indication that some judges were out to settle scores with the Executive.
A lobby representing youth also criticised the ruling saying it denies young people gains in the BBI Bill.
“By trashing the presidential constitutional responsibility of promoting and enhancing national unity through the handshake, the Judiciary is inviting anarchy and violent revolution in Kenya,” said the convener of the group Alex Marete.
The youths said the Judiciary should be checked to avoid a situation where it will micromanage the affairs of the Executive and the Legislature.
BBI report proposed a seven-year tax holiday for youth-owned businesses while graduates will be allowed a four-year grace period before repaying the Higher Education Loans Board loans.
The High Court ruling by a five-judge bench of Joel Ngugi, George Odunga, Jairus Ngaah, Teresia Matheka, and Chacha Mwita, among other declarations, said the President had violated the Constitution when he initiated the BBI process, which it said could only be done by Parliament or citizens through a popular initiative. —Reporting by Alvin Mwangi, Bryan Onyango, Seth Mwaniki and Roy Lumbe