The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has launched a fresh investigation into corruption allegations within the judiciary, following a request from Chief Justice Martha Koome, who has been under pressure to address the issue.
The investigations, which started a week ago, were prompted after the EACC met with Koome during the swearing-in ceremony of Abdi Mohamud as the new CEO of the commission.
David Oginde, the EACC Chairperson, made the announcement during the launch of the National Integrity Academic Strategic Plan at the Kenya School of Government.
He revealed that Koome had raised concerns during their meeting, reporting that she had received information suggesting that some judicial officers were involved in bribery, undermining the course of justice.
According to Oginde, the Chief Justice took the initiative to request the EACC’s assistance in uncovering and addressing these corruption allegations.
“We met with the Chief Justice, and she shared with us her concern about reports indicating that some of her officers are engaging in bribery, which is undermining justice. As a result, she personally called on us to help in this area,” Oginde stated.
The EACC is currently focusing on three undisclosed judicial stations, where they suspect corrupt practices may be taking place.
Oginde emphasized that while investigations are ongoing at these locations, the commission is also broadening its scope to assess corruption within the judiciary as a whole.
He stressed that if any wrongdoing is found, necessary legal actions would be taken to ensure justice is served and corruption is addressed.
This move follows growing concerns about corruption within the judiciary, raised by several prominent lawyers, including senior counsels and former presidents of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). The group, led by Gibson Kamau Kuria, Paul Muite, Nelson Havi, and Ahmednasir Abdullahi, has accused the judiciary of rampant corruption, with allegations spanning various levels of the system.
In response to these claims, they announced a campaign starting January 1, 2025, to identify and remove corrupt judges and advocates from office.
“We are at a critical point in our country, and as senior counsels with decades of experience in law, we firmly believe that the judiciary has never been as corrupt as it is now,” said Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi during a press briefing in December.
Amidst these concerns, Chief Justice Koome took proactive steps to tackle the issue. She reached out to the EACC, as well as other key investigative agencies such as the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the Inspector General of Police, urging them to investigate the reports of bribery and corruption within the judicial system.
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