Kenya judges slam Kenyatta's 'veiled threats'

Kenyan judges have slammed "veiled threats" by President Uhuru Kenyatta after the judiciary dramatically  declared his election victory null and void.

Challenger Raila Odinga meanwhile called for members of the election commission, tasked with overseeing a fresh vote, to be thrown out of the country, likening them to "hyenas".

Calling Kenyatta's remarks "an assault on the judiciary", the Kenya Magistrates and Judges Association (KMJA) late Saturday asked people to ignore "political rhetoric".

"The president of this country referred to the president of the Supreme Court and the other judges as "wakora", or crooks in Swahili, it said.

"He went on to make veiled threats against the same judges based on their decision. The same threats against the judiciary have been repeated at State House," said its chief Bryan Khaemba, referring to the presidential palace.

"We condemn this assault on the decisional independence of the honourable judges," he said.

- 'There is a problem' -

Chief Justice David Maraga on Friday declared Kenyatta's victory in the August 8 poll "invalid, null and void", pointing to widespread irregularities in the electronic transmission of vote results.

An enraged Kenyatta said he respected the decision but lashed out at the judges, saying: "Every time we do something a judge comes out and places an injunction. It can't go on like this... there is a problem and we must fix it. 

"I think those robes they wear make them think that they are more clever than the rest of us Kenyans," Kenyatta said of the Supreme Court judges, taking specific aim at Maraga.

"Maraga thinks he can overturn the will of the people. We shall show you... that the will of the people cannot be overturned by a few people."

On Friday he slammed the judges as "crooks".

Kenyan media have hailed the ruling as a hard-fought victory for the rule of law, and a sign of a maturing democracy.

This is the first time a presidential election result has been overturned in Africa and the decision has been welcomed by Odinga, who has lost elections in 1997, 2007 and 2013.

Odinga, however, said he had no faith in the national election commission, which is tasked with organising elections in the next 60 days, and on Sunday called for them to be expelled from Kenya.

"Those IEBC thieves must go. We will not allow them to conduct the fresh elections," Odinga told supporters after attending mass in Nairobi.

"Those who planned to steal our victory must leave. We can't take our goats where they will be taken care of by hyenas," he said. "Hyenas cannot take care of goats."

Source: AFP