Nairobi County Senator Mike Sonko went to court on Thursday, seeking orders to halt rallies planned by Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) and the Jubilee Coalition.
In a petition filed at the High Court, the Senator requested that interim orders be issued against the two political coalitions to prevent what he called a breach of peace and violation of fundamental rights and freedoms.
He also said that according to his observations of recent events, it would be dangerous to hold more rallies in different parts of the country as planned by CORD and Jubilee.
He expressed fears that the political animosity currently being witnessed was likely to escalate and could become uncontrollable looking at the ethnic nature of differences emerging.
The Senator further argued that the constitution did not give power to any individual to declare a public holiday and that doing so would be illegal and killing the spirit of the constitution.
The petition was presented before Justice Isaac Lenaola by Sonko’s lawyer Martin Karuga and was certified as urgent. The court has ordered the petition to be served to Jubilee, CORD as well as the Interior Cabinet Secretary, Joseph Ole Lenku.
The petition was set for hearing on the 30th of June 2014.
SABA SABA
Saba Saba is an iconic day in Kenya as it symbolises liberalisation of political parties from the oppressive single party regime of KANU. However, it is not recognised as a public holiday.
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