Former Chief Justice Dr Willy Mutunga has revealed how the 2013 presidential election petition divided the country so sharply that he spent nights pondering on what would happen on the petition's ruling day.
Mutunga who was speaking at Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi during the launch of the book 'The Kenya Elections 2017' written by journalist John Onyando on Monday revealed how Jubilee supporters had lost trust in him to the extent that some started calling him names on social media hours to the petition's ruling at the Supreme Court.
He said some powerful politicians within the ruling party had planned to bar him from reading the election petition ruling as they knew he would nullify President Uhuru's victory.
"In 2013, Jubilee was against me and did not want me to seat at the Supreme Court on the petition's ruling day," he said.
"The hate on me was so immense that Jubilee insiders wanted to do anything to block me from making the judgement. The Cord coalition on the other hand was in my support and expected to me to make the ruling in their favour. But all this changed when I read the verdict that handed Jubilee victory. Things changed immediately. Jubilee turned their support on me as Cord called me names."
The former CJ said there were powerful forces within Jubilee which wanted him out of the Supreme Court on Judgement day. He however, did not name the forces.
He added that contrary to earlier abuses directed at him by Jubilee supporters, there was celebration among President Uhuru Kenyatta's supporters when he presided over Uhuru's swearing in at Kasarani. The petition was filed by opposition chief Raila Odinga.
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