Kenyan Chief Justice Martha Koome has taken a swipe at deputy president William Samoei Ruto and his allies for demanding her resignation.
Martha Koome made these sentiments on Thursday November 25th while addressing delegates at the ongoing Devolution Conference in Makueni county.
According to the chief justice who chairs the intergovernmental committee, there is no way she could influence the outcomes of the elections.
Martha Koome insisted that the committee she chairs has no political influence since judiciary was at the center of Kenya’s electoral system.
“The Judicial Service Act gives me the mandate to be the link for the Judiciary with other government agencies. It also creates the National Council on Administration of Justice whose mandate is to collaborate and coordinate all the actors in the administration of justice to ensure that at the end of the day we render seamless services,”
“I met an intergovernmental committee on election preparedness, and I was attacked for holding the meeting. The Judiciary cannot deliver justice on its own,” the CJ stated.
Martha Koome also condemned the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party for making unreasonable demands, wondering how they could have reacted if she was interacting with politicians.
“I was left wondering what would happen if I met politicians?” Koome questioned.
Martha Koome was responding to Ruto’s allies and Garissa member of parliament Aden Duale who accused her of interfering with independent institutions.
According to these leaders, the chief justice would be compromised in the event of a presidential petition in 2022.
“Madam Chief Justice and the President of the Supreme Court, you cannot wear two hats that you are preparing elections and when the elections are over, you want to wear another hat as an independent Judicial officer in the determination of the presidential election.
“She must follow what the constitution says. We are going to make a formal complaint as UDA in the next two days. She is out of order. You either resign as Chief Justice and be part of our competitors. We have no problem with that. You can give them legal advice,” he demanded.
This saw the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) secretary general Veronic Maina draft a letter to the IEBC boss Wafula Chebukati in a bid to compel the CJ to resign from the critical intergovernmental committee.
The move was however castigated by a number of leaders who claimed that even the former chief justices have been participating in election preparedness committees.
“Stop bullying CJ Martha Koome, when CJ Maraga participated in the Elections preparedness committee, they said nothing. Koome is there as chair of the National Council on the Administration of Justice. They are attacking her because she is a superwoman CJ,” complained governor Mutua.
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