Kenya: Judiciary Trains First Batch of Judges On Election Disputes

Nairobi — The Judiciary has concluded the first session of judges training on election disputes ahead of the August polls.
The first session of the training which began with the High Court Judges was conducted for three days between the February 16 and February 18, 2022.
“The training sessions are important and timely for a number of reasons. Election laws and policies keep changing with each election season,” a statement sent to newsrooms by Judiciary’s Directorate of Public Affairs and Communication read in part.
“The recent amendments to legislation on political parties and the current debate to change election laws will have a bearing on how courts handle petitions and make decisions on disputes brought to court”.
The training sessions are being conducted through the Kenya Judiciary Academy (KJA), in conjunction with the Judiciary Committee on Elections (JCE).
The sessions also cover areas such as the use of technology in elections, election planning and preparation, hearing of election petitions, judicial ethics in adjudication of election disputes, among other issues relevant to the Judiciary.
The JCE, which was established in 2012 and currently chaired by Supreme Court Judge Justice Ibrahim Mohammed is tasked — jointly with KJA — to coordinate training and capacity development of judicial officers among other responsibilities aimed at ensuring that the Judiciary discharges its mandate effectively.
Two more training sessions for High Court Judges have been scheduled for later in the month of February 2022.
The Judiciary is targeting to train a total of 72 High Court Judges,120 researchers and law clerks, 400 magistrates, deputy registrars and at least 400 Judicial staff.
“We assure Kenyans that the Judiciary is ready, willing, able and determined to execute its mandate under the Constitution fairly, expeditiously and with integrity for the good of our country”.
The Judiciary has already projected an increase of election disputes in 2022 compare to 2017 where the courts handled a total of 389 petitions, including three presidential election petitions.
A total of 188 petitions were filed in the 2013 General Election.
Chief Justice Martha Koome challenged all the agencies charged with the mandate of electoral preparedness to undertake such trainings to enhance the capacity and preparedness for the electoral cycle.
By Capital FM.