This archive report was first published on 13 August 2019.
On August 13, 2019, High Court Judge John Mativo made a crucial decision that allowed county assemblies to debate the proposed amendment of the Constitution, known as the Punguza Mizigo bill.
The bill, fronted by ThirdWay Alliance party, had been at the center of a legal battle after petitioner David Kariuki Ngari obtained an order stopping members of county assemblies from debating and approving the bill.
However, Judge Mativo vacated the order after Mr. Ngari failed to appear in court during the mentioning of the case, paving the way for the county assemblies to proceed with the debate.
Mr. Ngari and the International Economic Law Centre had named the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the Speakers of National Assembly and Senate, and 47 speakers of the county assemblies, as well as the Thirdway Alliance, as respondents in the case.
Mr. Ngari had argued that the bill was procured through deceit and illegalities, citing the uniformity of the signatures on the signed forms as a major concern.
