Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has hit back at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over allegations that the government is plotting to remove Chief Justice Martha Koome from office.
Gachagua on Sunday, February 23, claimed that there was a scheme within the government to oust CJ Koome, insinuating that political and ethnic interests were at play.
However, Kindiki has dismissed the claims, stating that the removal of a judge is a constitutional matter and should not be politicized.
“Removal of a judge from office is purely a constitutional matter and not a political or ethnic issue,” Kindiki stated.
He warned against using ethnicity as when addressing judicial matters, arguing that legal matters should take precedence over political stances.
“Accusers and defenders of judges must use constitutional and legal arguments to state their positions rather than trivializing such a weighty legal matter by bringing ethnicity into the equation,” he added.
Also Read: Gachagua ‘Bans’ Ruto from Visiting Meru If Koome is Impeached
Kindiki on Judges and Ethnic Godfathers
Kindiki further questioned whether judges who lack political or ethnic ‘godfathers’ have anyone to defend them if wrongly accused.
“Who defends the judges who may be innocent but do not have ethnic godfathers?” he questioned.
“The Chief Justice and the Supreme Court judges will be defended not because of their ethnicity but because the attempt to bring down an entire Supreme Court for its decisions undermines the independence of judges, threatens the rule of law and fatally injures the underwriter of our democracy,” he added.
While addressing President William Ruto, Gachagua warned that if Chief Justice Martha Koome is impeached, the head of state would not be allowed in Meru County.
According to the former DP, there was a plan to remove the Chief Justice from her position as a way of sidelining the Mount Kenya region from key leadership positions.
“We are telling you, Mr. President, if you plan with your allies to remove Chief Justice Martha Koome, stay in Nairobi and never set foot in Meru again,
“This is too much now. How do you purge the leadership of an entire community that made you President? You have planned to eliminate the Mount Kenya community’s leaders, those with strong principles, and replace them with puppets,” Gachagua said.
Also Read: CJ Koome Breaks Silence After Threats to Occupy Supreme Court
Calls to Impeach Koome
Chief Justice Martha Koome has been under mounting pressure for months amid allegations of misconduct and misbehavior.
However, during a luncheon on Monday, January 14, to welcome the new Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) CEO, Abdi Muhamud, she dismissed calls for her resignation, stating that she would not bow to pressure.
Further, she emphasized that her position is constitutionally protected and that there was no valid reason for her to step down.
“You asked me whether I will resign; I would also ask you, why would I resign? I have a tenure and was appointed to serve for a defined period, and you have not given me any reason why I should step down. As far as I know, we haven’t received any petition regarding my removal, it is probably still being processed,” she stated.
Koome also reaffirmed her commitment to reforming the Judiciary, vowing to continue working with the EACC to uphold integrity within the institution.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and join our WhatsApp Group for real-time news updates
