Politics
Martha Koome Wants Petition Challenging Uhuru’s Refusal To Appoint 6 Judges Dismissed
In what seems to be a shift from the initial hardline stand, Chief Justice Martha Kooome, alongside the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), has asked the High Court to throw out the petition filed by the Katiba Institute regarding the rejection of six judges initially recommended by the JSC.
The lobby group had sought to have President Uhuru Kenyatta impelled to have the six judges sworn in alongside their colleagues.
Koome had been among the quarters that questioned Uhuru’s decision to cherry-pick the 40 judges, 34 of whom took their oaths in June.
“As we welcome our seven new justices at the court of appeal, this is a bitter-sweet moment for the four colleagues not with us.
I reiterate my position as chief justice and chair of JSC to state that all persons recommended by JSC must be appointed as judges,” she had insisted.
She now says the Katiba Institute petition is bad in law and which contravenes the process of the court.
The case was slated for a hearing today by a three-judge bench.
The group held that Uhuru had no powers to decided who is capable and who is not of becoming a judge.
Koome, through her lawyer, said she could not revisit the decision behind the appointment of the judges citing the expiry of her mandate and that of the JSC in the case.
On his part, through his lawyer Waweru Gatonye, Uhuru asked the court to adjourn the case, stating that the awaited decision of the Court of Appeal would uphold his decision to drop the six judges.
Deputy President William Ruto has vowed to that his government if given the mandate to lead the country in the August 9 polls will deal with hands-on with ‘State capture.’
According to the Presidential candidate, state policies are being used to facilitate the theft of public funds as corruption had been absorbed into government.
DP William Ruto made these calims while speaking to the Reuters in an interview.
“We have no intention of prosecuting President Uhuru Kenyatta, but we have every intention of dealing with State capture. It cannot be business as usual,” the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) presidential candidate said.
DP Ruto’s running mate, Rigathi Gachagua also alluded to said State capture, saying those involved will be dealt with should Kenya Kwanza form the next government.
“We will not go after individuals. We will go after all those in state capture and conflict of interest,” Gachagua said in a joint media broadcast.
The Mathira MP vaguely explained that it was “people in power who have used or are using their offices to use up public resources to their advantage,” when asked who or what State capture was.
The DP has also revealed plans of bringing to end the Kenya’s national debt, which currently stands at Sh9 trillion, in an exclusive interview with international media.
He said the country has the capacity to handle the debt situation, and that they as Kenya Kwanza have mapped out plans of how to go about it, should they win.
“We will put the brakes on more borrowing. It may not come to zero but we will begin the journey to slow down on more borrowing,” the DP said.
Campaigns hit fever pitch and candidates scramble for airtime to sell their agendas with just eighteen (18) days left as Kenya will soon be headed to the General Election.
Sonko has increased the intense in the race for Mombasa county which already has aspirants from the UDA and ODM parties.
Sonko has finally been cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to contest for the Mombasa gubernatorial seat.
On Thursday, July 14 2022, Sonko in the accompany of his supporters was given the green light.
The former Nairobi governor was invited by the IEBC to submit his letter for clearance as per a letter addressed to him earlier.
“The venue will be the IEBC Mombasa County offices and you are expected to submit your papers on July 14, 2022 between 2pm and 4pm,” Swalha Ibrahim the returning officer said.
The letter to Sonko came after a high court ruled that the politician doesn’t be disqualified from vying for governor noting that the governor was eligible to run for office. The commission said it could not head to the courts to appeal the decision as time could not allow.
Addressing the media after the clearance, Sonko said his candidature seeks to solve the problems of the people in the Coastal city and that he was bringing a new awakening in the city.
Sonko said he was not worried about the short time time line he has to undertake the campaigns in the large city noting that he was drawing a campaign schedule to begin immediately.
“We must campaign, we have few days but we will utilize them properly. We can do two days per constituency or a day per constituency,” Sonko noted.
Funding Partnerships and Grants Manager at Northern Rangelands Trust
Legal Counsel at Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF)
