•Early this month President William Ruto accused the judiciary of teaming up with cartels to stall his legacy projects.
•Whilst confirming that the President has not filed any complaint with the JSC, the CJ said the Judiciary is ready to interrogate the concerns the President has with the system.
Image: FILE
UDA party has come out to defend its party leader over his recent remarks about the Judiciary.
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party Secretary General Cleophas Malala on Thursday said that President William Ruto has every right to give his views on the Judiciary.
"As much as the Judiciary is independent, it is there to serve Kenyans. The President just like any other Kenyan has the right to express his dissatisfaction with how the judiciary is performing," he added.
Still defending his party leader, Malala said that previous presidents and leaders have also expressed their concerns about the Judiciary.
"So what is wrong with the President who has been mandated by Kenyans through the constitution and a competitive election just saying he is dissatisfied with certain orders from the court?" Malala posed.
Early this month President Ruto accused the Judiciary of teaming up with cartels to stall his legacy projects.
"I want to announce here that a few people with vested interests who are beneficiaries of corruption in NHIF are now ganging up with corrupt judicial officers to stall reforms so that fake hospital claims will continue," he said during burial in Nyandarua.
The utterances made on January 2, elicited reactions from several associations.
However, President Ruto agreed to hold talks with the Judiciary.
The Head of State said he is ready for talks with Chief Justice Martha Koome to address alleged corruption in the Judiciary.
“Mimi nataka nimwambie madam Chief Justice niko tayari kwa hayo mazungumzo,” Ruto said Tuesday in Nandi.
This translates to, "I want to tell the Chief Justice that I am ready for the talks."
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.
The President’s statement came after CJ Koome revealed that the Judiciary had written to Ruto seeking an audience with the view to establishing the genesis of his complaints against them.
Whilst confirming that the President has not filed any complaint with the JSC, the CJ said the Judiciary is ready to interrogate the concerns the President has with the system.
“He might have received information because we have various machinery and agencies for collecting information and we would like to engage him so that he can give us that information," Koome said.
“So we will be looking out for that dialogue, we have written and I believe that the President is going to give us an appointment.”