- President Ruto has accused the Judiciary of colluding with cartels to stall government projects.
- He said some individuals were abusing the judicial process by bribing judges, to render rulings in their favour.
Image: DOUGLAS OKIDDY
Corruption in the Judiciary is worse than President William Ruto has claimed in recent weeks, lawyer Peter Wanyama has said while vowing to confront the dragon head on if elected the next Law Society of Kenya president.
President Ruto has accused the Judiciary of colluding with cartels to stall government projects, saying some individuals were abusing the judicial process by bribing judges, to render rulings in their favour.
The President labelled the Judiciary as corrupt and promised not allow people with vested interests to gang up with corrupt judicial officers to stall reforms, and that he would stop the trend.
Those comments have since received widespread condemnation with opposition chiefs accusing Ruto of intimidating judges. Others who have condemned the remarks include the Law Society of Kenya and Chief Justice Martha Koome who urged judges to remain steadfast.
However, lawyer Wanyama who is campaigning to succeed Eric Theuri as LSK president says there is deep-rooted graft in the Judiciary.
"The rot there (in the Judiciary) is worse that what President Ruto mentioned. It is on another level. It has permeated all levels and I can tell you this because I'm a practitioner. It is worse than during the Moi regime," Wanyama told the Star on Thursday.
He said some lawyers were colluding with judges and parties in a case to get bribes in return for favourable rulings and judgments.
"There are so many such cases and the truth is that such unethical conduct kills legal practice. It is something the LSK must take head on and deal with as a matter of urgency," Wanyama said.
He said his immediate task if elected LSK president, would be to constitute a taskforce on such issues and in collaboration with the Chief Justice to address the problem.
He however differed with President Ruto's approach to the matter.
"For the record, I must say and admit that there are many good judges and magistrates. So the blanket condemnation from the President was uncalled for," he said.
Wanyama said there are state agencies which the President can use to address the matter.
"I found his utterances in bad faith because they undermine the rule of law. If the President has any evidence, he can take it to investigative agencies or the Judicial Service Commission so that proper channels are followed."
With 16 years experience in the legal profession, Wanyama feels he is the right person to succeed Theuri and reform LSK so it can benefit both the public and lawyers.
"It is time to bring back the lost glory of the law society. The legal economy is in shambles, and many lawyers do not have work to do because brokers have taken up those jobs," he said.
According to the lawyer, most of conveyancing jobs have been taken up by brokers. He said lawyers have completely been locked out of immigration practice by cartels.
"That is why the LSK president must be a strategic person who can lobby the government to create more jobs for lawyers. I intend to push for policy and legal reforms and also conquer virgin opportunities like the area of climate change which is very lucrative."
Wanyama who took his nomination papers to the LSK headquarters, will be battling it out with current vice president Faith Odhiambo, former vice president Caroline Kamende, council member Harriet Mboce and Bernard Ng'etich.
Theuri, whose two-year term as president is ending, with be battling it out with lawyer Omwanza Ombati for male representative to the JSC during the February 29, elections.
Odhiambo was the first to submit her papers on Tuesday while Kamende also did the same on Wednesday.
Wanyama is asking the over 15,000 advocates expected to cast their ballots to vote for him, promising to empower LSK branches to create more jobs for lawyers in the counties.
"We now have High Court stations in every county and that is why I am keen on empowering the branches, so we can have lawyers in even the remotest areas like Samburu or Mandera. Besides creating jobs for lawyers, it will also take legal services closer to mwananchi," Wanyama said.