A virtual court session on Tuesday was unexpectedly interrupted when unidentified individuals inundated the screen with explicit adult material.
The court was in the midst of a significant case concerning sexual violence linked to the elections when the disruption occurred.
Among the shocking visuals displayed was an image of a man engaged in highly inappropriate conduct.
Judge Daniel Musinga of the Court of Appeal, visibly shaken by the incident, expressed his disbelief at the graphic content that had invaded the courtroom.
“It is profoundly disturbing and unsettling to have such grotesque images forced upon a courtroom, especially when we are addressing serious issues like sexual violence,” he stated.
The incident brought the appeal hearing to a standstill, prompting the court to instruct that a new link be distributed solely to the legal representatives involved, to prevent a recurrence of the same issue.
This appeal involves survivors of sexual violence that occurred during the 2007-2008 election period in Kenya.
Following the announcement of the December 2007 general election results, the country experienced widespread violence and protests that lasted from late December 2007 until March 2008.
During this tumultuous time, numerous women, men, and children were targeted and subjected to various forms of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), including rape, gang rape, sodomy, defilement, forced pregnancy, forced circumcision, and mutilation.
A petition was later filed in the constitutional division, where several human rights organizations and survivors accused the state of failing to implement adequate policing measures in anticipation of the civil unrest, which contributed to the SGBV incidents.
They also criticized the state for not providing effective remedies for the victims of SGBV, claiming this violated their right to life and other fundamental rights.
The petitioners claimed that the sexual and gender-based violence experienced by the survivors was exacerbated by the police’s lack of preparedness, discipline, and supervision during the civil unrest.
In response, the state argued that many victims found refuge at police stations where resources were available, and those requiring medical care received the necessary attention.
They refuted the claims of violence being inflicted by police officers.
High Court Judge Weldon Korir concluded that several rights, including the right to life, had been infringed upon for some of the petitioners.
“Due to the violation of their rights and the state’s failure to apprehend and prosecute the offenders, where evidence exists, the affected parties are entitled to compensation,” he stated.
As a result, four out of the eight survivors were awarded Sh4 million each for the infringement of their constitutional rights.
Subsequently, the remaining survivors filed a partial appeal against the judge’s ruling.
This hearing session was unexpectedly interrupted by hackers on Tuesday.
