Court of Appeal on Thursday, July 21 suspended the decision of the High Court that directed the electoral commission to consider presidential aspirant Reuben Kigame's papers to vie at the August 9 general election.
A thre- judge bench of the appellate court issued an interim stay of execution of the judgment rendered by Justice Antony Mrima on July 18, 2022 compelling Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to receive Kigame’s presidential nomination papers.
"We have considered all the submissions by all parties in this matter and we therefore direct that no further execution of the high Court judgement until the hearing of this matter, " ruled judges Wanjiru Karanja, Hellen Omondi and Francis Tuiyott.
The judges adjourned the hearing of the appeal by the IEBC to Monday, July 25 after Kigame's lawyers led by John Khaminwa sought for three days to file their grounds of opposition in the matter.
Court gives Kigame more time
Kigame has been granted until Sunday, July 24 to file all his pleadings in the matter ahead of the hearing of the appeal the following day.
The new development comes after the Commission appealed against the decision by High Court Judge Mrima who ordered the electoral body to accept Kigame’s presidential nomination papers regardless of a deficit in signatures presented.
In its appeal, the electoral body argued that Kigame failed to meet the 48,000-signature requirement which they insist is a constitutional requirement according to Article 137 of the constitution, therefore his nomination was invalid.
