Why CJ Koome met judges after meeting President Ruto

In a pivotal step towards strengthening the judiciary, Chief Justice Martha Koome on Monday met with officials of the Kenya Judges Welfare Association.

This meeting came on the heels of a meeting with President William Ruto at State House.

This was aimed at addressing key issues affecting the judiciary and reinforcing the outcomes of the discussions held among the leaders of the three arms of government.

In a statement after meeting the judges, Koome vowed to protect the constitutional principle that guarantees the independence of the Judiciary.

"I also reminded the Judges of our collective accord to root out graft, which undermines the rule of law and fair administration of justice," she said.

Speaking on the operational challenges faced by the judiciary, Koome said the operationalisation of the Judiciary Fund has suffered setbacks affecting the ability of the Judiciary to maintain a smooth operational system.

However, she said that collaboration to streamline these pitfalls will translate into more efficient courts.

To address the issue of corruption, the Chief Justice brought the judges to date with the resolutions of the State House meeting.

"To address issues raised by the public on corruption and misconduct, the three arms of government and the Council of Governors agreed to individually develop policies, guidelines and legislative proposals to speed up corruption cases," she said.

The Chief Justice said a collaborative agreement was reached among the judiciary, the executive, and the legislative arms of the government, along with the CoG.

"They have committed to developing individual policies, guidelines, and legislative proposals to expedite corruption cases and enhance the efficiency of the criminal justice system," Koome stated.

In the meeting that President Ruto chaired, CJ Koome said that the implementation of a transport policy and leasing framework was discussed, aimed at ensuring secure and dependable mobility for judges, an essential aspect of their duties.

In addition to that, the judiciary will also receive additional support from the executive and legislature, including a budgetary allocation to modernize court registries through automation and to expand alternative dispute resolution methods.

"This is part of a broader strategy to make the justice system more accessible and efficient," Koome added.

The budget will aid in optimizing the efficient delivery of service and the fight against corruption.

Part of the funds will go towards the recruitment of 36 judges where 25 will be of the High Court and 11 of the Court of Appeal.

Also, the additional budget will go towards facilitating the judiciary's transport needs.

"Resources will also be provided to conclude the vehicle leasing program to facilitate the judiciary’s transport needs," reads the statement.

The meeting held at State House was attended by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, Deputy CJ Philomena Mwilu,  Attorney General Justin Muturi, Council of Governors chairperson Anne Waiguru and Solicitor General Shadrack John Mose.

The agenda was to end the stand-off between the Executive and Judiciary over allegations of corruption.

Early this month, President Ruto accused the Judiciary of teaming up with cartels to stall his legacy projects.

The utterances made on January 2, elicited reactions from several associations.

On January 15, CJ Koome said that the Judiciary wrote to Ruto seeking an audience to establish the genesis of his complaints against them.

President Ruto later agreed to hold talks with the Judiciary.

The Head of State said he was ready for talks with Chief Justice Koome to address alleged corruption in the Judiciary. 

He, however, said the discussion will involve the leadership of the three arms of government.

"I am ready for the conversation on how we are going to deal with vested interests, incompetence and corruption,” Ruto said.