High Court Blocks Formation of Raila's People's Assembly

The High Court has issued orders blocking all county assemblies from passing or adopting a motion by National Super Alliance (NASA) seeking the creation of People's Assembly.

On Monday, Kitui High Court judge Justice Lilian Mutende granted temporary conservatory orders barring the county assemblies from passing the motion, pending the hearing and determination of a case filed by a lobby group dubbed Counties Development Group.

"An order is hereby issued restraining the 4th – 50th respondents and the members of the county assemblies from constituting a special college for the appointment of election members, delegations and observers of the People’s Assembly," the order reads.

Counties Development Group are seeking to have Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) stopped from implementing the motion to create the assemblies by the opposition coalition. Justice Mutende’s order will be in force until January 28th, 2018 when an inter-party hearing will be held.

However, Nasa Chief Executive Officer Norman Magaya dismissed the order as "hopeless", saying that the opposition will ignore the directive and continue with their plan to create the forums.

"That is a hopeless order. The order is defective and is not capable of being enforced. It cannot be served on anyone, if anything it has been overtaken by events because the peoples assemblies are already under way," Mr Magaya said during a TV interview.

The lobby group has listed Attorney-General, the Senate, the National Assembly and Kitui County Assembly as the first, second, third and fourth respondents, respectively.