[Supreme Court of Kenya in a past event. Reuters claims that judges missed from a crucial hearing before October repeat poll due to security related issues. Photo/Nation]
The decision by the government to decline beefing up security of Supreme Court judges was the sole reason behind the unprecedented quorum in a crucial sitting, reports Reuters.
Chief Justice David Maraga and Judge Isaac Lenaola were the only judges available a day to controversial repeat poll and could therefore not raise quorum to hear a case challenging the poll.
"It is only the two of us who are available. Mohammed Ibrahim is out for treatment while Njoki Ndung'u is out of town. My deputy is having a tragedy," Maraga said adding that Smokin Wanjala and Jackton Ojwang were unavailable.
A day to the grand hearing of a case filed to postpone the poll, a security guard attached to Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu was shot by unknown assailants.
"In Kenya, ordinary criminals do not attack government vehicles driven by armed government agents who know how to shoot," a source told Reuters, claiming that the government had turned down the request by Maraga to beef up security of judges thus the 'boycott'.
Despite the claims that the judges may have stayed away due to security issues, the Supreme Court has since denied the claims.
"There reports going around that we were denied security are not correct. All judges are now well protected," read a statement from Maraga in response to the Reuters.
The Supreme Court of Kenya made a landmark ruling in September nullifying Presidential results, the first of its kind in Africa.