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no party was prejudiced and the appellant had explained the reason for the delay.
2.3.2.4 The six-month timeframe set out in section 85A of the Elections Act is not applicable to cases
where a pre-election issue is the subject of litigation in the High Court in exercise of its ordinary
or supervisory jurisdiction under Article 165 of the Constitution, and which then goes on appeal
to the Court of Appeal. As the Court of Appeal found in Annie Wanjiku Kibeh v Clement Kungu
Waibara & Another, Civil Application No. NAI E390 of 2021:
19. The core issue in Hon. Waibara’s petition was whether the Parliamentary seat held
by Hon Kibeh fell vacant because Hon Kibeh was disqualified from being elected as a
member of National Assembly representing Gatundu North Constituency as she was
still a member of the County Assembly of Kiambu at the time of her nomination and
gazettement of the nomination. The original jurisdiction of the High Court to hear a
constitutional petition under Rule 105(1) (b) of the Constitution as read with section 76(1)
(c) of the Elections Act must be distinguished from the High Court’s jurisdiction as an
election court.
20. This means that while Hon Waibara’s petition was subject to the six-month timeline
provided under Article 105(2) of the Constitution, it was not subject to section 85A of
the Elections Act that provides a 30-day time limit within which an appeal from the
High Court judgment is to be filed, or a six-month timeline within which appeals from
the High Court in election petitions is to be heard and determined. Nor are the Court of
Appeal Election (Petition Rules) 2017, Rule 8(5) which provide a 30-day timeline for filing
appeals from the election Court from the date of the impugned judgment, applicable.
21.An appeal to this Court from Hon. Waibara’s constitutional petition was one governed
by the timelines provided in the Court of Appeal Rules, 2010 which as per Rule 75(2)
provides for 14 days for filing the notice of appeal, and as per Rule 82(1), which provides
60 days for filing the record of appeal. The applicant’s motion is therefore misconceived
because it is anchored on Section 85A of the Elections Act and the Court of Appeal
Election (Petition Rules), 2017 that are not applicable to Hon. Waibara’s constitutional
petition.
Further authorities
The following authorities also address the broad theme of the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal to
extend time in EDR:
1.
Charles Kamweru v Grace Jelagat Kipchoru & 2 Others, Nairobi Civil Appeal No. 159 of 2013
(unreported);
2. Evans Odhiambo Kidero & 4 Others v Ferdinand Ndung’u Waititu & 4 Others, Supreme Court
Petition No. 18 of 2014;
3. Wavinya Ndeti v IEBC & 4 Others, Supreme Court Petition No. 19 of 2014;
4. Ferdinand Ndung’u Waititu v IEBC & 8 Others, Civil Appeal (Application) No. 137 of 2013 (UR
94 of 2013);
5. Andrew Toboso Anyanga v Mwale Nicholas Scott Tindi & 3 Others Election Petition Appeal
(Application) 3 of 2017;
6. Timamy Issa Abdalla v IEBC & 3 Others Mombasa, Election Appeal No. 4 of 2018;
BENCH BOOK ON ELECTORAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION