A Human Rights Defender's Perspective

Post backdated to 20th November, 2017:  About 2 weeks ago, i was called up by a seniour lawyer who asked me to join him for an early morning meeting. It is at that meeting that i was invited to be part of the legal team preparing a petition challenging the election of Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta - Supreme Court Presidential Petition 4 of 2017.  To have been found worthy of inclusion for this assignment is humbling, any lawyer (young or old) would be excited at such an opportunity. An opportunity to practice law at Kenya’s  apex court, in one of the most contentious issue the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over! One hell of an emotive issue too!  I accepted and was immediately tasked with the preparation of the Petition’s principal affidavit. The next 7 days were going to be a roller coaster. From sleepless nights and nights with little sleep, to change of location nearly 4 times for fear of police raids, late night meetings with lawyers i never dreamt of sharing a boar

20/07/17 - Well Al Ghurair's printers can now be switched on to Presidential Ballot Paper printing mode (if they weren't already printing). The CoA has pronounced itself and as is consistent in a society that values the rule of law, it must be respected ... or appealed. But no not an appeal again NASA ..... Let the elections proceed!  For a fact, it throws the Article 10 principle on public participation into a spin. Yes political expediency Court of Appeal ...  but my lords, what does public participation mean to you!? At least give us some direction...  Well the cases might have been filed to address interests of candidates but the issues raises certainly raise matters of public interest, we are all stakeholders in Kenya's electoral processes.  I have come to appreciate public interest litigation to mean litigation where there is no winner looser distinction. At the end of exercise, persons have been given an opportunity to ventilate, matters which would have be