Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has joined the heated debate surrounding the proposed removal of Chief Justice Martha Koome and other Supreme Court judges.
His statement comes just a day after his predecessor, Rigathi Gachagua, launched a fierce attack on President William Ruto over the same matter.
Addressing the issue, Kindiki emphasized that the removal of a judge should strictly follow the legal and constitutional process rather than being influenced by political or ethnic interests.
In what appeared to be a direct response to Gachagua, Kindiki questioned who would stand up for judges facing accusations of misconduct but lacking powerful ethnic backers.
“The removal of a judge is a matter of law, not politics or tribal affiliations,” Kindiki asserted. “Those making accusations or defending judges must rely on constitutional and legal grounds instead of dragging ethnicity into such a serious legal matter.
Who speaks for the judges who may be innocent but have no ethnic godfathers to shield them?”
Gachagua had earlier delivered a passionate speech in Meru, where he vowed to call for mass protests if Chief Justice Koome was removed from office.
He accused President Ruto of attempting to sideline and purge leaders from the Mount Kenya region, despite their support in his rise to power.
For several months, prominent legal figures, including former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Nelson Havi and senior lawyer Ahmednassir Abdullahi, have been advocating for a complete overhaul of the Supreme Court.
They have consistently pushed for the removal of Koome and the other six judges, citing concerns over the judiciary’s conduct.
Havi, however, criticized Gachagua for directing his frustration at President Ruto instead of addressing the legal issues at hand. He challenged the former Deputy President to focus his opposition on him instead.
“Why is Rigathi Gachagua threatening President William Ruto over the removal of Martha Koome?” Havi questioned. “Let him direct his protests at me instead.
I have been vocal about Koome’s unsuitability since the day she applied for the Chief Justice position. This is my battle.”
Despite these efforts to unseat Koome and other Supreme Court judges, legal challenges have stalled the process.
Multiple petitions have already been filed, but both the High Court in Narok and Nairobi have issued conservatory orders, barring the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) from proceeding with any action against the judges.
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