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State House defends President Ruto over his Judiciary comments

State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed.

By Farhiya Hussein | Wednesday, January 3, 2024

The President's office has issued a statement seemingly toning down President Ruto's strong remarks against the Judiciary, drawing criticism from figures like Chief Justice Martha Koome, Opposition Leader, Raila Odinga, and LSK President Eric Theuri.

The President's office has issued a statement seemingly toning down President Ruto's strong remarks against the Judiciary, drawing criticism from figures like Chief Justice Martha Koome, Opposition Leader, Raila Odinga, and LSK President Eric Theuri.

The President's Spokesman, Hussein Mohamed, emphasized in the comprehensive statement that "the President consistently champions the rule of law and constitutional principles, especially safeguarding the independence of the Judiciary." The statement highlighted the President's respect for recent court orders, notably those related to the Affordable Housing Programme.

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Since the beginning of his presidency, deliberate steps have been taken to rectify past injustices, with the appointment of judicial officers who were unjustly denied their rightful positions due to Executive impunity, said the statement. It also stated that the president had increased budget allocations to support the operational needs of the Judiciary, demonstrating a commitment to its autonomy.

While acknowledging commendation from the LSK for upholding the rule of law, Hussein addressed concerns about executive, legislative, and judicial impunity. He emphasized the need to expose and hold accountable those involved in corruption, regardless of their positions.

The statement concluded with the State House Spokesperson reiterating the President's call for judiciary reforms and questioning whether the Executive should seek concurrence from the Judiciary to fulfill the people's mandates.