The National Super Alliance (NASA) has been given five days by the High Court in Nakuru to respond to a petition seeking to block the Opposition coalition from kicking IEBC staff out of office.
Justice Roselyn Korir directed the opposition parties – the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Wiper, Ford Kenya and Amani National Congress (ANC) – to file their responses within the five-day deadline before the matter is heard in court.
“This is a matter of national interest and the parties need to be given time to file their own responses before the matter proceeds for hearing,” said Justice Korir.
The four NASA affiliate parties, IEBC and its chairman Wafula Wabukati, the Registrar of Political Parties and the Attorney General have been listed as respondents in the case.
Last week, 12 Nakuru County residents through their lawyer Mungai Kibe, filed the case under a certificate of urgency.
In the petition, the residents are seeking orders to restrain the Opposition leaders from interfering with the operations of IEBC ahead of the October repeat presidential poll.
The petitioners claimed that NASA leaders want to force the Commission officials out of office through political campaigns and intimidation.
Regarding Mr Chebukati, the petitioners want the court to stop him from forming a special projects team to conduct the polls.
According to the petitioners, the Opposition is conspiring with Chebukati to jeopardize the election through the establishment of a special project team which according to them is unconstitutional.
Chebukati, however, denied the accusations stating that he was acting within the law to put the commission in order as it prepares to conduct the fresh polls.
The 12 also want the Court to declare as null and void the Opposition's demands – dubbed the 'Irreducible Minimums’ – which NASA has set as preconditions for it to engage in the October polls.
The case is set to be heard on October 3.
