Nairobi — President William Ruto has warned that his regime will ruthlessly stifle judicial activism and impunity which impedes the government's development agenda.
President Ruto insisted that despite the nation being a democratic state which grants respect to the Judiciary as an arm of government there must be a national conversation on judicial abuse to settle political scores.
"We are a democracy and we will respect the independence of the Judiciary but what we will not allow is judicial tyranny and impunity," he said.
The Head of State accused internal and external forces of attempting to sabotage key government policies through legal avenues.
The high court slammed the brakes on the implementation and enforcement of the Social Health Insurance Fund Act 2023, the Primary Health Care Act 2023 and the Digital Health Act 2023 until a case challenging its legality is heard.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) obtained court orders stopping the government from the planned rollout of the universal health coverage envisioned in the laws.
President Ruto had announced the rollout will be in January this year but the High Court suspended the planned implementation of the Social Health Insurance Act 2023 by the Ministry of Health until February 2024.
"Few people who have been beneficiaries of the looting in the NHIF have moved to court and linked with corrupt judicial officials so that they steal 50 percent of the funds and that cannot continue. We won't allow it," he stated.
President Ruto promised to ruthlessly deal with judicial officers colluding with powerful individuals with vested interest who have been ripping off the health insurance kitty for years.
"We support the independence of Judiciary but corrupt judicial officials who have been working with people who have vested interest benefit from NHIF funds to perpetuate judicialy tyranny.We will deal with them and fight with them,they won't go far,"he warned.
In his New Year's Eve message, President Ruto decried that some state officers who have benefitted from the previous regime were out to sabotage key policies in the government.
The court dealt a blow to President William Ruto's housing program after declaring the Housing Levy unconstitutional for being discriminatory and creating unequal principles.
The judges ruled that Section 84 of the Finance Act, which amends the Employment Act to introduce the Housing Levy violates the principles of taxation for making distinction between formal and informal sectors, thus creating unequal and inequitable principles.
