As Poland faces protests and a political standoff over its top court, PS Sing’Oei has condemned unconstitutional changes to government.
Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’oei speaking during a colloquium on the review of Kenya’s Foreign Policy in 2024 with an insert of the Polish flag. Kenyans.co.ke Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei has criticised unconstitutional changes of government amid an escalating political and judicial standoff in Poland, calling for such actions to be rejected.
The PS issued a brief comment on Saturday, October 31, in response to developments in the European country, saying Kenya was following the situation with concern and maintained that unconstitutional transfers of power should not be accepted in either Africa or Europe.
“Unconstitutional change to government must be rejected whether in Africa or Europe. Following developments in Poland with deep concern,” he stated.
His remarks come amid an escalating political standoff in Poland over who has authority over the country’s highest constitutional court involving President Karol Nawrocki, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, senior judges and police.
At the centre of the disagreement is the Constitutional Tribunal, a court responsible for determining whether laws and government decisions comply with the country’s constitution.
The dispute pits Tusk’s government against the former ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, which appointed several judges during its time in power.
Tusk’s administration has been attempting to reverse judicial changes introduced by its predecessors, arguing that some appointments were unlawful and compromised the court’s independence.
The government recently moved against the tribunal’s President Bogdan Święczkowski and Vice-President Bartłomiej Sochański, with Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek seeking to have their immunity lifted so they could face criminal charges.
Subsequently, Nawrocki, who is politically backed by the PiS party, cancelled a scheduled trip to Senegal to return to the capital and intervene.
After an emergency meeting at the Presidential Palace, Nawrocki reportedly travelled to the court shortly after midnight on Saturday with Supreme Court First President Zbigniew Kapiński.
The move had also triggered protests by supporters of the former ruling party on Friday, October 30, prompting authorities to deploy riot police outside the court in Warsaw.
The demonstrators opposed the government’s actions against the court’s top judges, arguing that it amounted to an attempt to take control of the institution.
The disagreement stems from years of political tension over judicial appointments, dating back to 2015 when the incoming PiS-led government challenged selections made by the outgoing parliament and appointed alternative candidates to some of the positions.
The appointments triggered legal challenges, with European courts later ruling that some judges had been improperly selected, prompting efforts to reverse the changes when Tusk took office in 2023.
