Uhuru terms Supreme Court decision as ‘coup’ by four judges

President Uhuru Kenyatta addressing Jubilee Part from North Eastern at State House, Nairobi on September 21, 2017. PHOTO | PSCU

What you need to know:

  • He told Justice David Maraga that the judgment does not fit within the meaning or spirit of the Constitution.
  • He reiterated that he respects the court decision, saying repeat elections should be held within 60 days.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has said the decision by the Supreme Court to nullify the August 8 presidential election was a “coup by four people sitting in court.”

The President described the majority decision in the full judgment delivered Wednesday as judicial dictatorship that had robbed Kenyans the power of decision making.

“This was a coup…I must call it what it is,” he said, while meeting Jubilee Party elected leaders from Northern Kenya at State House, Nairobi, on Thursday.

“This is a voice of a few, who on their own decided they can choose a leader for the majority of Kenyans. If this is not dictatorship, I don’t know what it is,” he said.

POWER

He said all the gains of the Constitution promulgated in 2010 was overturned by the judgment, which has allowed a few people to lead over the majority.

“The judgment has shown the voice of the people matters no more. What matters is the voice of a few people, who arrogate to themselves powers they don’t have,” he said.

He said the Constitution had entrenched democratic values, devolution and conferred on the people basic rights and freedoms and curtailed the power of the president to do as he pleased.

He told Justice David Maraga that the judgment does not fit within the meaning or spirit of the Constitution.

He was riled by the court when it said it will not hesitate to nullify presidential election if it is not conducted as provided by the law.

RECOUNT

“They say numbers don’t matter but they refused to look at the important documents, which is the only way to determine the expression of people’s sovereign will,” he said.

He said the judges should have ordered a recount of the ballots if they were genuine in their push for justice.

“In a free country source documents best express people will, but the judges refused to look at them. They are lucky they are dealing with a polite man, who respects the constitution and is not interested in seeing Kenyans fight,” he said.

He told the leaders from northern Kenya to support his bid and prove to the judges that no person has the power to overturn the will of the people.

He reiterated that he respects the court decision, saying repeat elections should be held within 60 days.