While speaking to BBC news, the current Kenyan Chief Justice Martha Koome said corruption is a major bug in the country. She went ahead to admit that it’s very embarrassing how senior judges engage in corruption. The worst comes when their cases are taking too long before judgment declaired.
The embezzlement of public funds has been the norm in Kenya as more cases pile up in courts. Corruption claims and cases have occupied almost 60% of all the prosecution in courts. Worst of all, investigations are taking a long time before the correct report on what happened. One of the alleged cases by senior judge, Philomena Mwilu over some bribery issues is still on trial. Such matters are very embarrassing to the national government.
The Chief Justice told the BBC that she is ready to offer all that she can to make sure Kenyans have confidence in judiciary offices. Of course, a nation with a trusted judiciary arm will always have a positive mind in court rulings. For real, everyone hates corruption, but why is it that some of us are still engaged in the act? We can conclude that it is a national problem.
The newly appointed chief justice is the first female figure to hold that huge CJ position in Kenya. She topped among other 10 candidates during the May interview. She spoke boldly in front of TV cameras, being answerable to the Judicial Service Commission.
In one year to come, Kenya will have their presidential elections. Now, that is another huge task. The country has had a rough time over the past three elections and people are afraid for the coming 2022. Mrs. Koome should be ready for anything that comes up. She has promised to mend a good relationship with the nation’s executive team to build a strong unity.
The chief justice also spoke about the 2017 Supreme court ruling that nullified elections. The president, Mr. Uhuru won, but the opposition cited there were some irregularities during the voting process. The revote took place three months later, of which Mr. Kenyatta won again, although the opposition party NASA boycotted.
The judiciary is very annoyed by the fact that the President is delaying the appointment of new judges. “This is an issue to do with the judiciary budget,” Mr. Koome confirmed. However, if all the arms of the government work together, such minor issues will be solved quickly.
In her speech, she referred to the arms of the government as a three-legged stool. When one leg is weak, the body cannot stand upright. The judiciary is the one to bring efficiency to the government systems.
The matter of fewer judges has led to the blocking of most cases. She called upon the national government to employ more judges to reduce the number of piling cases. Among the overwhelming case is the land disputes in the country.
The Chief Justice wants another 20 new judges re-appointed. This will prevent cases from taking more than 3 years before final judgment. She assured the Kenyan citizen that the judiciary is ready for the upcoming presidential elections. We hope the judiciary will be unbiased in solving some sensitive cases.
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