Nairobi — A case in which former assistant minister Kalembe Ndile is accused of participating in an illegal assembly will be mentioned on September 27.

Mr Ndile is accused of taking part in a meeting in Eldoret at the height of the referendum campaigns last month.

The former Kibwezi MP, who represented himself in court on Monday, made spirited efforts to defer plea taking until a petition he filed in the High Court is heard and determined.

In the petition, he says his rights were infringed on and wants the criminal case declared a nullity.

Senior resident magistrate Nathan Shiundu dismissed his application and the former MP asked him to disqualify himself from hearing the case.

Mr Shiundu did so and referred the matter to the chief magistrate's court.

The chief magistrate, Mr Charles Mbogo, set the new date after the prosecution said they had not received any communication from the director of prosecutions and asked for a month's adjournment.