" Prepare for a referendum despite the high court ruling"
These were the words of Siaya senetor James Orengo exuding confidence in the fourth coming appeal case against the perceived infamous high-court ruling. Speaking to a congregation he portrayed no signs of doubt with the battery of judges set for a bruising battle at the courts.
"After we have finished the judicial process, we go back to the race of ensuring the constitutional changes that have been proposed in the constitution of Kenya Amendment Bill are passed by the people of Kenya."
"...and at the end of it we go through the referendum and in the new leadership of Kenya."
Orengo has been on the frontline in championing for constitutional changes. The renown lawyer has been proven and tested. Big test among them was the overturning of the 2017 presidential elections.
Also Rongai Member of Parliament Raymond Moi has exuded confidence in the battery of lawyers picked to appeal the High Court ruling that annulled the Constitution Amendment Bill 2020.
Raymond spoke during the launch of a newly built Konoyo Primary School in Soin Ward fully funded by the National Government-Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) in the 2019/2020 financial year.
"I have high hopes that the lawyers will convince the Court of Appeal to overturn the ruling made by the High Court. Filing an appeal is the right direction to ensure the needed amendments are done," said Moi.
Attorney-General Kihara Kariuki will lead the six-member team comprising of Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto and Paul Mwangi who was a joint secretary in the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) task force, Prof Ben Sihanya, Prof Kibe Mungai and lawyer Jackson Awele.
The team picked by President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition chief Raila Odinga on Monday announced that they had come up with fifteen grounds that they intend to use in the appeal.
"We urge the team to ensure they leave no loopholes while presenting their case. Great caution should be exercised to give Kenyans a chance to make the desired changes," he said.
The legislator pointed out that the issues relied on to dismiss the Bill do not supersede the public good of the proposed changes which have the backing of a sizable Kenyan population.
"It is a fact that there was public participation on the Bill and Kenyans supported it. Members of County Assembly (MCAs) and Members of Parliament reiterated the stand of the people they represent in the respective ways they voted," said Moi.
He dismissed opponents of the BBI noting that their celebrations for the High Court ruling will be short-lived adding that a delay in hearing the appeal would plunge the country into a crisis.
"We urge the judges at the Court of Appeal to ensure the case is determined expeditiously to beat the constitutional timelines. There is nothing to celebrate about the ruling as the document contains solutions to many challenges facing the country," he said.
The MP who is a member of the Standing Committee on Trade added that they were looking into ways of resuscitating the economy with a focus on the spiraling cost of fuel.
"As a committee, we are deliberating on how the fuel prices can be put at manageable levels. Fuel prices have a great effect on the cost of living, a burden which we must strive to ease on Kenyans amid the current pandemic," he said.
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