The Interim Independent Constitutional Dispute Resolution Court Wednesday ruled that prisoners be allowed to take part in the forthcoming referendum.
A five judge bench further directed theInterim Independent Electoral Commission to register the inmates in the next 21 days starting Thursday.
Only inmates who are of sound mind, age of 18 and have their Identification cards qualify to register for the referendum set for 4th of August this year.
The suit had been filed by inmates from Shimo La Tewa.
The land mark ruling will see over 50,000 inmates held in the country's prisons vote in the forthcoming referendum on the draft constitution since independence.
Section 43 (c) of the current constitution disqualifies convicts from voting in a presidential, parliamentary and civic elections but the convicts told the Court that the section of the law does not bar prisoners from participating in a referendum.
Through Kituo Cha Sheria, a human rights lobby group, the prisoners argued that barring them from the plebiscite to accept or reject the proposed constitution was unconstitutional and a violation of their rights.
