•Ruto has vowed to deal firmly with corruption in all arms of government including the Judiciary.
•Gachagua asked the CJ Martha Koome to provide details to Kenyans about the number of complaints that have been filed against judge.
Image: LEAH MUKANGAI
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Eric Theuri has challenged Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to substantiate any accusations connecting judicial officers to corruption.
This comes in response to Gachagua's announcement on Sunday that he intends to file a petition on Thursday seeking the removal of a High Court judge from office.
LSK President in an interview on Monday, however, urged the Deputy President to present any allegations of corruption to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) rather than expressing grievances in the public domain.
"If you possess evidence of corruption against a specific judge, the appropriate channel is to present it to the Judicial Service Commission. Making public pronouncements is unnecessary; let us wait and see what unfolds," he said on Citizen TV.
Theuri also criticised the Executive for consistently targeting the Judiciary, asserting that such actions are eroding the autonomy of independent institutions and undermining the nation's democracy.
"At this juncture, we are witnessing an exceedingly aggressive Executive, a somewhat passive Parliament, and a Judiciary struggling to assert its authority amidst challenging circumstances," he said.
The DP said on Sunday that he will be filing the petition at the Supreme Court headquarters on Thursday.
Gachagua who said other Kenyans with complaints against judges should do the same, said he will lay bare all the evidence he has against the judge.
''I will lead by example and on Thursday at 2:15 PM I will personally present a petition for removal from office over corruption,'' Gachagua said in Iten.
The DP challenged Kenyans to join him when he presented the petition against the judge he claimed was corrupt.
Gachagua asked CJ Martha Koome to provide details to Kenyans about the number of complaints that have been filed against judges and say how many have been dealt with.
"She should provide the timeliness she has in addressing them,'' he said.
This would be the first time under the 2010 Constitution that a high-ranking state officer of Gachagua's profile will be directly filing a petition against a judicial officer.
Previously, high-ranking government officers have used proxies to file petitions against judges or other judicial officers.
Gachagua said on Sunday that Kenyans are ready to take forward their complaints against judicial officers as requested by the Judicial Service Commission.
"All those with petitions let us file them and those who want to join me please do so that we exercise our mandate,'' he said.
The DP's plan comes in the wake of heavy criticism from the opposition and lawyers targeting President William Ruto over an anti-judiciary tirade.
Ruto has vowed to deal firmly with corruption in all arms of government including the Judiciary.