It has now emerged that President William Ruto is planning to install former IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati as the next Chief Justice of the country.
Revealing the details was former Prime Minister Raila Odinga who said the news follows the recent meeting at State House involving the President, the Judiciary and Chief Justice Martha Koome.
According to the ODM party leader, the installation of Chebukati is part of President William Ruto scheme to have a friendly judiciary.
- President Ruto and CJ Martha Koome in talks at State House
- Raila terms CJ Koome’s meeting with Ruto irresponsible
He continued by saying that both the former IEBC boss and and his predecessor Ahmed Issack Hassan will first be proposed as judges of Court of Appeal before Chebukati is elevated to the Supreme Court and as the CJ.
“He floated the names. Immediate former IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati and former IEBC Chairman Ahmed Issack Hassan are to be appointed as Court of Appeal judges, with Chebukati being later elevated as the Chief Justice before the 2027 General Elections.” said Raila
The former Prime Minister accused the Head of State of capturing the Supreme Court and now is planning to recruit more of his loyalists in the lower courts.
“At the meeting, the Chief Justice and Mr Ruto reached an agreement that will supposedly allow Mr Ruto to provide additional funding to the Judiciary.
In return for this additional funding, Justice Koome is to advertise vacancies for five additional High Court Judges and 11 Court of Appeal judges. This is in addition to the 20 High Court Judges advertised and the advertisement of the 11 judges has just been done in today’s gazette.” he said
Raila further noted that the President allocated additional funds to the Judiciary illegally and accused the CJ of accepting the money which should have come through the Parliament.
“The presidency cannot allocate any money to the Judiciary, Madam Koome knows this, and yet has willingly proceeded to associate herself with and endorse an illegality. Why Koome sought money from State House and not from Parliament, only she can explain, but it spells doom,” he said
