Raila Faults CJ Koome For Meeting Ruto At State House
On Monday, Raila, the leader of the Azimio la Umoja coalition, expressed disapproval of Chief Justice Martha Koome’s decision to meet with President William Ruto at State House, describing it as an irresponsible action.
Addressing the situation in Lamu County, Raila emphasized that any potential discussions between the two parties regarding the recent rift between the Judiciary and the Executive should take place in a neutral location if indeed a meeting were to occur.
“State House is the home of the Executive. That is where the president resides. If there is going to be a dialogue over issues of governance, it should be held on a neutral ground,” Raila said.
The leader of the ODM party stated that the gathering implies that the Executive is exerting influence on the Judiciary, compromising its independence.
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“The Judiciary is being held hostage by the Executive, and we’ve seen this before. We saw it happen under the rule of Mr. Moi, and we’ve tried to caution the current CJ not to go to bed with the Executive,” Raila added.
He additionally described the action as an unfortunate turn of events and expressed optimism that the integrity of the remaining Judiciary members will not be jeopardized.
As previously mentioned, Ruto and Koome convened at State House on Monday after a series of conflicts and responses within the three branches of government in recent weeks.
President Ruto has been criticizing the Judiciary for issuing decisions that go against his policies, alleging that its members are being influenced through bribery to sway their judgments.
CJ Koome, on the other hand, publicly supported the Judiciary and advised Ruto to present any evidence he might have against judicial officers.
Raila Faults CJ Koome For Meeting Ruto At State House