President William Ruto has explained why he has been attending so many judiciary functions since he took over power.
Speaking on Monday in Nairobi, the head of state said he has unwavering support for the judiciary.
“I know there are so many questions about why I appear in so many judiciary functions. My support to the judiciary is so that they can effectively deliver justice to the people of Kenya,” he said.
Ruto was speaking during the launch of the Administration of Justice in Kenya Annual Report 2021/22.
Earlier, Chief Justice Martha Koome said she won't hesitate to reach out to the president for problem-solving.
Koome said in her capacity, she solves problems where she can and that has been the trend. However, she said there are other issues that can be solved by the head of state.
Since his presidential win, Ruto vowed to support the Judiciary and respect its independence.
He said his government will increase the Judiciary budget by an additional Sh3 billion for the next five years in a bid to make courts financially independent.
Ruto said the budget will help construct the necessary infrastructure needed.
“We have committed to increasing it (budget) by Sh3 billion to make sure we also hire the requisite number of staff and build ICT facilities so that our Judiciary can deliver its mandate,” he said.
The Judiciary has over the years suffered budget cuts that saw former Chief Justice David Maraga bitterly complain about the crippling effects on their operations.
Ruto also pledged that his administration will respect court decisions
However, the Azimio La Umoja coalition led by its leader Raila Odinga has claimed that the judiciary, legislature and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) have been captured by the state.
He questioned the Kenya Kwanza government's act of support to the judiciary by disbursing funds without following proper legal procedures.
“There’s a push by the executive to own the judiciary through illegal actions that amount to bribery; it is the reason for the rush to appoint the six judges and to allocate money to the judiciary,” Raila said.
