How Jubilee bloggers tried to undermine Supreme Court Judgement
In what played out like a rehearsed script, senior government officials and Jubilee sympathizers went all out to trash the Supreme Court ruling even before it was read out in full by the Judges on Wednesday.
This move would thereafter be replicated by thousands of the ruling party’s followers on the cyberspace leading to demonstrations in parts of the country and a scathing statement from Chief Justice David Maraga.
It is Dennis Itumbi,State House Director of Digital Communication, who kick-started this onslaught, by uploading a series of documents on his social media accounts while claiming they were enough proof the Judges were not neutral in their judgement.
Interestingly, Itumbi also borrowed the “Wakora” (thugs) slang President Uhuru Kenyatta had used to describe the Supreme Court Judges on September 1.
JSC #KickOutIDLO – an organization run by @makaumutua cannot fund @Kenyajudiciary and we expect an INDEPENDENT institution #WakoraNetwork pic.twitter.com/LitasjygDy
— Dennis Itumbi (@OleItumbi) September 19, 2017
Thereafter, all hell broke lose as one after the other, pro-bloggers went all out to down play the importance of the ruling, while picking any noticeable errors from the judges such as their pronunciation of words.
Deputy President William Ruto joined in, criticizing Maraga and terming the court’s judgement as a “coup”.
Evidently a supreme coup on sovereign Will of the people was executed on basis of technicalities against their verdict captured in ballots.
— William Samoei Ruto (@WilliamsRuto) September 20, 2017
Supreme Court has got it wrong on everything:Election Process,how technology works&evidence law.The decisions was made&reasons sort later
— KIPCHUMBA MURKOMEN (@kipmurkomen) September 20, 2017
Injustice Philemona Mwilu is clearly reading something she has never seen before. The struggle is real. Next time… https://t.co/NsuuX2ZSuE
— Pauline Njoroge (@paulinenjoroge) September 20, 2017
Maraga 4 relied on rumours & innuendos from NASA press conferences; the dissenting judges carefully perused thro the evidence #SupremeRuling
— The Makodingo® (@makodingo) September 20, 2017
The way NASA has bullied Justice Ojwang’!!! Awuoro!!! And they say that RAILA fought for freedoms. Freedoms mar chieth!!!
— Robert ALAI (@RobertAlai) September 20, 2017