Musalia Mudavadi, the ANC leader has blamed President Uhuru Kenyatta for the ongoing conflict between the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
Mudavadi urged the president to have a sit down with the two departments to end the conflict that has threatened to derail the administration of justice in the country.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, May 3, Mudavadi accused Uhuru of not exploring dialogue to mediate any apparent disagreements between the two organs responsible for investigating and prosecuting suspected criminal cases.
“In the interest of sustained stability in criminal justice, the appointing authority needs to probe into the recurrent conflict between the two leaders.
“The appointing authority needs to call them to order once and for all. He also needs to probe the source of these differences and ensure that they are definitely put to rest.
“It appears that this joint forum is not being used. That is why friction between the DCI and the DPP keeps spilling into the public space,” stated the ANC party leader.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji and the head of criminal investigations George Kinoti have been reported to have a frosty relationship.
In late April 2020, a move by the DCI to file charges against National Water Harvesting Authority CEO Geoffrey Sang and five other officials from his office backfired after the ODPP ordered a file on the investigations allegations be surrendered.
Mudavadi noted that war between the two departments is a threat to the criminal justice in the country, “The entire spectrum of the war against crime and especially that against corruption is dangerously under threat.
“When those charged with the responsibility of fighting crime begin fighting each other instead of fighting crime, as a country we need to get to the bottom of what ails relations between the two institutions before they become the graveyard of criminal justice in the country.
“We cannot afford to be the country in which investigations disappear quietly and inconclusively between the DCI and DPP just because the two officers are not able to work together,” warned Mudavadi.
On Tuesday, March 3, DPP and DCI clashed publicly over the status of investigations and prosecution of Kenya Ports Authority boss Daniel Manduku.
