Protesting youth storm CJ’s offices

Photo/WILLIAM OERI/NATION

Youths demonstrate outside the Milimani Law Courts on June 29,2011.

Youths on Wednesday stormed the Milimani Law Courts to demand an explanation from the Chief Justice over a case involving National Youth Council (NYC) elections.

The youth broke the gate and assembled in the car park after being denied entry.

The High Court issued an injunction stopping the National Youth Council elections on May 25 after five youth representatives filed a petition challenging the legality of the elections.

Lady Justice Jeanne Gacheche certified the matter urgent and restrained the Youth Affairs minister from holding the elections, which started on May 18 and were set to end on June 28.

The youths were protesting against Justice Gacheche’s ruling adjourning the hearing of the petition to October 12 following a consent by the parties’ advocates to file additional submissions.

They said they had spent so much time preparing for the election and its continued delay was a violation of their constitutional rights.

“We want the case treated with the urgency it deserves. Some of us resigned from our jobs to take part in the elections only for them to be stopped by the courts,” said one of the youths.

It took the intervention of Justice Msagha Mbogoli to restore sanity among the group, which had vowed to camp at the courts until Chief Justice Willy Mutunga talked to them.

Justice Mbogoli explained that according to the law and court procedures, an agreement that has been reached in court cannot be changed unless all the parties agree.

“The petitioners who brought up the case entered a consent with your lawyer to hear the case on October 12. The consent order can only be set aside by another consent order,” said Justice Mbogoli.

The youth also held Youth Affairs and Sports assistant minister Wavinya Ndeti hostage at Kencom House, where the ministry’s offices are located.

Ms Ndeti only pacified the youth after she said she had called the Office of the President and the Chief Justice who had instructed that the matter be heard soon.