• Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has accused Chitembwe of graft.
• Chitembwe has denied involvement in corrutpion.
The Judicial Service Commission has allowed petitions seeking the removal of Justice Said Chitembwe, directing that they be served upon the judge for his response within 14 days.
In a statement on Monday, Chief Justice Martha Koome said the JSC had deliberated on the petitions which accuse the judge of gross misconduct and impropriety.
"The petitions and the honourable judge's response will be considered by a panel which has been set up by the commission. The panel will present its findings to the commission," the statement reads.
Earlier, Koome had vowed to deal firmly and swiftly with allegations of corruption in the Judiciary as part of her pursuit for ‘judicial hygiene.’
Koome told 255 lawyers she admitted to the Roll of Advocates on Monday that her leadership will “not condone corruption and abuse of office by any individual working within the institution of the Judiciary irrespective of the person’s rank or office.”
Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has accused Chitembwe of graft.
Chitembwe has denied involvement in corruption.
Sonko made the allegations through various video recordings, which have come to be referred to as 'Sonko leaks'.
The recordings suggest that the judge accepted money in exchange for favourable rulings.
Chitembwe said the videos were manipulated to put forth a false narrative.
According to the judge, the release of the videos was provoked by anger on the part of Sonko after he lost a case in which Chitembwe was the presiding judge.
Sonko had filed a petition to stop the swearing-in of Governor Anne Kananu. The court dismissed it.
“It is not a coincidence that the videos are released on the day of Anne Kananu’s swearing-in. He (Sonko) was angry the petition didn’t go through,” Chitembwe said.
A section of lawyers through the Nairobi branch of LSK called for the judge's removal from the bench.
The removal of a judge may be initiated only by the JSC acting on its own motion or on the petition of any person to the commission.
Chitembwe is not new to controversy.
On July 22, he was dramatically arrested alongside fellow judge Aggrey Muchelule and taken to DCI headquarters to record statements over allegations that they were planning to receive a bribe from an unnamed broker to influence the outcome of a court case.