This archive report was first published on 28 December 2019.
On November 19, the term of Kyalo Mbobu, the previous head of the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, came to an end. In response, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) appointed Desma Nungo to chair the tribunal for six years.
Ms Nungo will lead a team of six other tribunal members, including Hassan Abdi, James Atemi, Adelide Mbithi, Milly Lwanga Odongo, and Paul Ngotho. The tribunal will be responsible for resolving disputes between political parties, particularly in the lead-up to the 2022 general elections.
With party elections scheduled for next year, Ms Nungo's first test as chairperson will be to handle any disputes that may arise. The ODM and Jubilee Party have announced plans to hold party elections in a bid to inject new blood into their leadership ahead of the 2022 general elections.
According to the JSC, the tribunal handled 540 nomination disputes ahead of the 2017 general election, forcing them to work longer hours. The tribunal had two separate benches of three members and a sub-registry located at the Milimani law Courts in Nairobi.
