Kenya could struggle to convince International Court of Justice at the Hague following a last minute application to have a maritime border row case postponed.
On Tuesday, Nairobi asked for yet another 12 months to reorganize her legal team for showdown with Modadishu over Indian Ocean maritime dispute that has intensified cold war between the two countries.
According to Voice of America, Somalia has rejected the move, pushing for the hearing of the case in September 9th to 13th as scheduled earlier.
Through Attorney General Kihara Kariuki, President Uhuru Kenyatta requested more time to have a new defense team put in place for the showdown.
“Due to exceptional circumstances, occasioned by the need to recruit a new defence team, Kenya has sought to have the matter postponed,” Attorney General Kihara Kariuki said in a statement.
Under Article 54 of the Rules of the Court, parties to a case may request the bench to alter the date fixed by the Court, “should occasion arise” to either delay the public oral sessions or stop those already going on until a later date.
The six lawyers have been battling out to save Kenya from losing several kilometers of the ocean, a move that could impair her military and economic operations.
They included Prof Payam Akhavan from the US, Prof Vaughan Lowe QC from the UK, Prof Alan Boyle (British), Prof Mathias Forteau (French), Mr Karim Khan (British) and Ms Amy Sanders (British).
Last week, the diplomatic row between Kenya and Somalia deteriorated with the former blocking attempts of the later to have Al-Shabaab blacklisted as terrorists group.
“That we have failed to get one additional sanction regime will not deter us from remaining focused on our goal which is to eliminate terror in our country and in the world at large. God willing,” Macharia Kamau, the Kenyan Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary told The EastAfrican.
Also, Somalia had rejected Kenya's request to African Union that asked for out of court settlement on the matter that has been before ICJ since 2014.
Kenyan Parliament through Majority Leader Aden Duale, has threatened to have Kenya Defense Forces troops deployed in the disputed maritime border.