The Milimani Law Courts could have yesterday passed off as a venue for a campaign rally.
Bare-chested men raced along the Upper Hill Road with vuvuzelas and whistles blaring from supporters of Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya leader Raila Odinga, who had heeded his call to be present as he filed the presidential election petition.
Orange flags were everywhere. Blue t-shirts, too. The only difference was that this time, the hundreds that had gathered outside the Milimani Law Courts, Nairobi, the venue of what promises to be a bruising legal battle, did not bear 'Baba the Fifth' posters. Instead, they opted for attire branded 'Electoral Justice now' and We Want Justice'.
They had been waiting for hours, all the while singing praises of the Azimio leader. Raila would arrive at 12.30pm in the company of his running mate Martha Karua and a host of their lawyers to a rousing welcome by supporters dripping with sweat.
"Ruto must go!" they chanted in unison as they escorted the Azimio leadership to the Supreme Court's registry, housed in a tent within the precincts of the Milimani Law Courts. "Haki yetu!" they would also burst out.
The Azimio leaders, who had arrived in their vehicles, opted to join their supporters on foot. Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka arrived later.
Police officers deployed to ensure the public were kept at bay had a tough job keeping the crowd outside. The masses were eager to join Raila and Karua inside, and forced open the gates at Milimani Law Courts.
Lazime tulinde evidence
"Lazima tulinde evidence," one of them shouted at a police officer who was yet to realise the futility of keeping the people outside.
Inside, Raila and his entourage, which also included officials of the Jubilee Party, like David Murathe (vice-chair) and Jeremiah Kioni (secretary-general) were shown to their seats.
If the sight of the Azimio leaders gave their supporters joy, then that of a white lorry, bearing 39 volumes of annexures that Raila will be relying on as evidence, made them elated.
And they escorted the truck as though their lives depended it on it, offering it "protection". Soon enough, the contents were off-loaded, an exercise Raila's supporters deemed almost sacred, insisting that the files must only be carried into the registry by Members of Parliament-elect and previous MPs.
Female lawmakers, like former Kwale Woman Representative Zuleikha Hassan carried the documents atop their heads, with their male counterparts, such as Nairobi Senator-elect Edwin Sifuna placing them on their shoulders. Westlands MP-elect Tim Wanyonyi bore his share on his laps, wheeling it into the tent.
The boxes, filled with documents, seemed heavy evident on those who carried them into the registry.
Later after the files were processed, the Azimio leader joined his supporters as they marched to the Kenyatta International Convention Centre. His supporters kept the tempo up by song and dance, as he waved from the sunroof of his vehicle.
And Raila urged them to maintain calm as the seven judges of the Supreme Court, on whose shoulders the petition rests, determine the true weight of the pieces of paper Azimio turned in as evidence.
