Eleven petitioners have moved to the Supreme Court seeking to block Deputy President William Ruto and his running mate Rigathi Gachagua from being sworn in if they win the August 9 Presidential election.
In a matter which has been certified under a certificate of urgency, the petitioners want the duo blocked from ascending to power if declared winners by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) due to integrity issues.
The petitioners want the Supreme Court to give directions by Friday, August 26.
"That pending hearing and determination of this Petition, the honourable Court be pleased to issue an order conservatory injunction to restrain the first and second respondents from being sworn into offices of President and Deputy President respectively in the event that they get elected during the General Election scheduled for August 9, 2022," the petition reads in part.
Defending their move to file the case under certificate of urgency, the 11 petitioners argued that failure by the court to issue a directive blocking Ruto and Gachagua from assuming office if they won the August 9 polls amounted to abetting illegalities.
"Unless the court hears and determines the constitutionality of the registration and gazettement of the 1st and 2nd Respondents as candidates, it amounts to aiding and abetting illegalities if they are sworn into their respective offices in the event they get elected," read part of the petition.
The 11 seek to safeguard the principles, values and objectives enshrined in Chapter Six of the 2010 promulgated constitution.
Other respondents listed in the case include Azimio la Umoja, Agano Party, Roots Party Kenya and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission of Kenya (EACC).
The petition comes just days after a group of other activists moved to court to block Gachagua from holding public office due to integrity issues.
The activists argued in their suit that Gachagua is unfit to hold public office in the wake of a recent ruling of the High Court, directing him to forfeit Ksh202 million to the government over graft.
"An order be and is hereby issued compelling the IEBC to vet and ensure that all persons it clears to view at the 9th August 2022 General Election and in subsequent elections…are persons who satisfy moral and ethical requirements prescribed by the constitution or by an Act of Parliament," the petition read in part.
On his part, the Kenya Kwanza running mate dismissed the petitions arguing that the recent court ruling was a political witch hunt.
