Orengo: Supreme Court ruling on election petition was shameful
Siaya Governor James Orengo.
Siaya Governor James Orengo has for the first time made a direct attack on the judgment delivered by the Supreme Court judges, describing it as unconvincing and meant to serve a political purpose.
He termed the verdict as an embarrassment to those who fought for independence of judiciary in the country.
Mr Orengo, who spoke at the burial of the sister of Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo in Mutumbu Village, Gem constituency described the judgment delivered on September 5 as a shame and disappointing.
He said the judgment delivered on September 5 that confirmed the election of Dr William Ruto as the President elect and was read by the Chief Justice Martha as a big disappointment.
“We thought that after the former Chief Justice David Maraga had retired, we would have judges standing for the rule of law. The Chief Justice (Martha Koome) has brought shame to the Judiciary,” said Mr Orengo.
He added: “The people fought for the independence of the judiciary and Raila Odinga (Azimio Presidential candidate) was jailed for years fighting for judicial reforms. Instead the seven judges brought shame by watering down all the efforts of the patriotic Kenyans.”
The Siaya County boss further faulted the judgment, saying: “The judgment that they rendered was not was not a judicial judgment because the literature contained in it was not judicial. It was meant to serve a political purpose that had nothing to do with the law.”
He compared the judicial process to a football match that he said should be governed by rules of the game.
“When reading a judgment, the judges use words that are measured so that even the losers in a court of law feel that justice has been done. Like in a football match, if the referee is fair, the competing sides will congratulate each other and shake hands. That’s how courts are supposed to work,” said Mr Orengo.
He described the language the seven judges used while delivering the judgment as unfortunate.
Mr Orengo’s criticism of the judgment comes a day after Ms Martha Karua, the Azimio la Umoja presidential running mate said she was considering going to the East African Court of Justice to seek a review of the judgment.
“There is no other place that we can go to and contest the presidency again. But we can still move to other places to review whether our courts gave us a fair and just judgment. It is not about the election, but justice,” Ms Karua said.
