This archive report was first published on 29 June 2021.
On June 29, 2021, Lawyer Kamau Karuri appeared before the Appellate Court to challenge the High Court's decision on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) signature collection.
Representing the Attorney General, Karuri argued that the High Court had erred in its judgment, solely focusing on the process that preceded the signature collection, rather than the outcome.
He emphasized that the process only commences once signatures have been forwarded, and that the High Court's decision to declare the BBI null and void on grounds of its promoters was misguided.
According to Karuri, the court attempted to find the president liable, likening his actions to being the key promoter of the Initiative.
He stated, 'The court tried through every means to find the hand of the president in the process of signature collection.'
By doing so, the court took away the power of the people to decide for themselves, Karuri told the seven-judge-bench.
He added, 'At the end of the day, the final determinant of what is good for the people is the people themselves. This is a right that they were deprived.'
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had received approximately 4.4 million signatures in December 2020, after which it began the process of verification.
The IEBC has since appealed the High Court's verdict, based on four thematic areas including quorum, voter registration, verification of signatures, and public participation.
