Lawyer representing Uasin Gishu people living with disabilities Moses Keter at the Eldoret court on September 19, 2017. [Photo/Joe Khisa]
A case in which a group of people living with disabilities has filed to seek de-gazettement of Uasin Gishu nominated Members of County Assembly failed to kick off for lack of a Magistrate mandated to handle the matter.
The case was set for mention on Tuesday, but Eldoret Chief Magistrate Charles Obulutsa told the petitioners that the matter could not proceed as the judiciary was yet to gazette a list of Judges and Magistrates to handle cases challenging individuals nominated by political parties to the County Assembly, Senate and National Assembly.
"There are 65 such cases across the county but they cannot be handled until when Judges and Magistrates to handle them will be gazetted. The first lot of those to handle petitions arising from election results has been gazetted and we expect this ones to be gazetted soon," said Obulutsa.
He directed the petitioners to serve all the relevant documents to parties involved in the case as they await gazettement of the magistrate that will handle the case.
The Jubilee Party and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) have been sited as respondents in the case.
Over 300 people living with disabilities in Uasin Gishu filed the case at the Eldoret court claiming the list of nominated MCAs was unconstitutional and want it declared null and void and a fresh nomination process ordered.The matter will now be mentioned on October 3 for further directions.