Kenya: BBI appeal case hearing kicks off in Supreme Court

By Samuel Ouma [caption id="attachment_92674" align="alignnone" width="691"] President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga signing the BBI report on November 22, 2020. Political tensions have reduced in Kenya under his watch.Photo Courtesy[/caption] On Tuesday, January 18, 2022, the Kenyan Supreme Court began hearing the appeal of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI). Chief Justice Martha Koome, the court's chief, announced that the case would be heard in three sittings from today through Thursday. In addition, CJ Koome limited the length of each speaker's presentation to 45 minutes for the lead speakers and 15 minutes for the other respondents. Attorney General Paul Kihara, the IEBC and Nairobi lawyer Morara Omoke are the appellants in the case. They want the Supreme Court to overturn the decisions of the High Court and Court of Appeal that ruled that the constitutional amendment effort was invalid. Both appellants and respondents have complained about the time allotted, claiming it is insufficient. It was requested that the court re-examine its judgement and add more time. They stated that it shouldn't be rushed because the issue is important to the public. John Khaminwa, senior counsel for a respondent, remarked, "If it is necessary for us to sit in this court for two months, let us do so; what is the haste for?" "We believe that this matter should be properly aired, there is a lot of public interest in this case, and Kenyans need to be informed of all the facts,” said lawyer James Orengo.