A virtual court session was on Tuesday abruptly disrupted when unknown individuals flooded the screen with explicit adult content.
The court was hearing a high-profile election-related sexual violence case when the incident occured.
Among the disturbing images displayed was one showing a man engaged in graphic and inappropriate behaviour.
Court of Appeal Judge Daniel Musinga visibly disturbed by the intrusion remarked that it was flabbergasting to witness such graphic content.
"It is deeply unsettling and very disturbing for such grotesque images to be thrust upon a courtroom, particularly when we are dealing with matters as serious as sexual violence," he said.
The breach halted the appeal hearing with the court directing a new link be shared only to advocates representing the parties for fear that the same issue would reoccur.
The appeal before the appellate court involves survivors of 2007-2008 election-related sexual violence.
Following the announcement of the results of Kenya’s general election held in December 2007, widespread violence and demonstrations ensued and continued from late December 2007 until March 2008.
During this period of unrest several women, men and children were targeted for attack and were subjected to forms of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (‘SGBV’) including rape, gang rape, sodomy, defilement, forced pregnancy, forced circumcision and mutilation.
A petition was subsequently filed at the constitutional division where several human rights organizations and survivors of the violence accused the state of failure to prepare adequate policing responses to the anticipated civil unrest that contributed to SGBV.
They also faulted the state for failure to provide effective remedies to the victims of SGBV which they said violated their right to life among other fundamental rights.
The petitioners alleged that the SGBV committed against the survivors were contributed to by actions of police who were not prepared, disciplined or supervised to appropriately conduct law enforcement activities during civil unrest.
The state (respondents) in a rejoinder said many victims of violence were provided with protection at police stations with available resources and those who needed medical attention were attended to.
They denied allegations of violence being perpetrated by police officers.
The then High Court judge Weldon Korir determined that various rights against some of the petitioners including the right to life were violated.
"By virtue of the violation of their rights and the failure of the state to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators, where evidence is available, the parties shall be entitled to damages," he said.
Four of the eight survivors were subsequently awarded Sh4 million each for violation of their constitutional rights.
What followed was the other survivors partially appealing against the decision of the Judge.
This is the hearing session that was abruptly disrupted by the hackers on Tuesday.
