The African Judges and Jurists Forum (AJJF) who arrived in the country on 28 August, 2022 to observe the proceedings of the 2022 presidential election petitions, have left the country.
The AJJF has previously been observing the 2013 and 2017 presidential election dispute resolution processes.
This is their third Trial Observation Mission.
The 2022 mission, which was headed by Retired Chief Justice of the Republic of Tanzania Mohammed Chande Othman, attended the Supreme Court hearings to monitor and document the process of the hearing of the petitions.
Other members of the mission included Justice Henry Boissie Mbha of the Supreme Court of Appeal and immediate past President of the Electoral Court of South Africa, Justice Moses Chinhengo, AJJF Chairperson, Justice of the Court of Appeal of Lesotho and former Judge of the High Court of Zimbabwe and of Botswana, Lady Justice Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza of the Supreme Court of Uganda, and Lady Justice Ivy Kamanga of the Supreme Court of Appeal of Malawi.
The mission did not carry out a merit review but rather an observation of the international human rights standards on fair trial.
Additionally, it observed the role and independence of the judiciary in electoral dispute resolution and the context of the elections in the run-up to the presidential petitions.
The mission composition also allowed the various judges to draw lessons on case management for presidential election disputes.
Furthermore, They wanted to form the basis for experience-sharing on the African continent.
The mission also conducted bilateral meetings with the two main presidential aspirants, His Excellency William Samoei Ruto and Honourable Raila Amolo Odinga, as well as the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), who were admitted as amicus to the petition.
These meetings allowed the mission to gain an understanding of the context of the conduct of the 2022 elections in Kenya and to share ideas on institutional strengthening as a means of consolidating democracy in Africa.