Kenya: Chief Justice Koome Meets President Ruto at State House to End Judiciary Corruption Stand-Off

(file photo).
22 January 2024

Nairobi — Chief Justice Martha Koome has held a meeting with President William Ruto at State House to address a stand-off arising from corruption claims on judges.

The claims were made by President Ruto who accused unnamed judges of working with cartels to frustrate the government agenda following injunctions on his legacy projects of health and housing.

Following the claims, the Chief Justice proposed a meeting, saying she was willing to listen to the president so as to find a lasting solution in what was widely opposed by the legal experts led by the Law Society of Kenya.

The Opposition led by Raila Odinga too opposed the meeting saying it compromises judicial independence.

But on Monday morning, Capital FM independently established from sources that the Chief Justice was at State House for the meeting.

State House and the Judiciary was yet to comment on the meeting.

Last week, the president announced that he was ready and willing to meet the Chief Justice.

"I am going to lead from the front in the conversation between the executive and the judiciary so that we can deal with the monster that is destroying our country and the corrupt who go to court," he said.

President Ruto has lately maintained a sustained attack on the judiciary saying the government will deal firmly with corrupt judges and judicial officers who he claims have been bribed to issue orders to frustrate his development agenda.

Addressing a media conference on Monday, Koome said the attacks against the judiciary were setting up the country for chaos and anarchy.

"If this course is allowed to continue unabated, we are on the precipice of a constitutional crisis that can lead to untold civil strife," Koome added.

"So we will be looking out for that dialogue, we have written and I believe that the president is going to give us an appointment," she said,

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