I was a victim of public service pitfalls, says Kissinger in IEBC vetting

Former Deputy Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Francis Kakai Kissinger  , the IEBC Chair Nominee before the selection panel in Nairobi on March 25th, 2025

[Collins Oduor, Standard]

Former Judiciary Deputy Registrar Kakai Kissinger defended his integrity on Tuesday, March 25, as he appeared before the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) selection panel for vetting.

Kissinger faced scrutiny over allegations of financial misappropriation in the Judiciary in 2014.

However, he told the panel the case was withdrawn in 2017 and insisted his integrity remains intact.

"It's called the pitfalls of public service. My integrity is unquestionable, even before the eyes of God. I have worked in public service and I worked at the Judiciary. I left with my understanding that I was a victim," said Kissinger.

He explained that the allegations stemmed from misunderstandings regarding a judicial performance program he had helped pioneer.

The initiative sought to construct courts across all counties and digitise Judiciary operations but, he said, faced scrutiny due to a lack of clarity.

"This project was under intense financial scrutiny. In the process of implementing, there was a lot of misinformation. People didn't understand what was going on, so when issues were touching on one of the courts that had not been constructed, investigative agencies got involved," he explained.

According to Kissinger, the disputed court was later confirmed to have been built at a different location, leading to the case being dropped.

He also addressed concerns over the purchase of a house, clarifying that the issue was the absence of a cabinet memo at the time of purchase.

"When that memo was retrieved, it spoke the truth. Management was only implementing what the cabinet memo by the former president required," he added.

Court documents presented to the panel showed he had been acquitted of all charges and had moved on from the matter.