High Court stops NASAs Peoples Assemblies

The High Court in Kitui has issued orders barring County Assemblies from passing or implementing the National Super Alliance’s (NASA) motions on the formation of the People’s Assembly.

Judge Lilian Mutende issued the ruling pending determination of a case filed by a lobby group, Counties Development Group.

The court granted the lobby group’s plea to have county assemblies restrained from “constituting a special college for the appointment of election members, delegations and observers of the People’s Assembly or in anyway participating in the people’s assembly, implementing the motions tabled and moved before the county assemblies, proposing, ratifying or adopting recommendations for amending, modifying or in anyway changing the Constitution without complying with Article 257 of the Constitution.”

The hearing of the case was set on January 28, 2018.

On Monday (November 20), the Kilifi County Assembly passed a motion sponsored by NASA for the creation of People’s Assembly becoming the 9th devolved House to do so.

Other county assemblies that have passed the motion include Busia, Siaya, Kakamega, Vihiga, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori and Makueni County.

NASA announced its resolve to push for formation of the People’s Assembly on November 7, 2017 after the announcement of President Uhuru Kenyatta as winner of the October 26 poll.

The opposition said the People’s Assemblies will have a taskforce that will be charged with coming up with suggestions of how to change the Constitution, including the structure of government and the elections regime.