Koome promises to look into judicial intergrity

Chief Justice Martha Koome, during the National Conference on Technology Facilitated Gender Based Violence held in  Nairobi on December 9, 2024.[Benard Orwongo, Standard]

In a decisive move to address rising concerns over corruption within the Judiciary, Chief Justice Martha Koome has reaffirmed her commitment to upholding integrity and rebuilding public trust in Kenya’s justice system.

The CJ said Kenya’s Judiciary operates under a heavy caseload but has demonstrated resilience, achieving a 99 per cent case clearance rate.

“We continue to see exceptional commitment from judges, judicial officers, and staff operating under difficult circumstances,” Koome noted.

Her response follows a case where Kenya’s Judiciary is once again at the centre of public debate, with allegations of corruption threatening to erode its credibility.

Amid the storm, constitutional lawyer PLO Lumumba and other stakeholders are calling for urgent reforms to safeguard the institution that stands as the guardian of justice.

Prof Lumumba has raised persistent allegations of judicial corruption on social media.

 “A country can survive a bad Executive. It can even survive a bad Legislature, but it cannot survive a bad Judiciary,” Lumumba declared in a letter to Chief Justice Martha Koome, dated December 5, 2024.

The letter, which raised alarm over alleged corruption, has reignited a national conversation about the Judiciary’s integrity. Lumumba’s concerns stem from claims by lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi, who, in a social media post, accused an unnamed judge in Mombasa of using an intermediary to solicit bribes.

“A judge in Mombasa is collecting money from businessmen left, right, and centre.

‘‘He has appointed an agent to collect monies and is trading with court proceedings,” Abdullahi alleged in a post on November 30, 2024.

These allegations, Lumumba said cannot be ignored.

“Whenever I travel outside Kenya, a number of people make reference to Kenya’s corrupt Judiciary,” he remarked.

In a statement issued yesterday , Koome acknowledged the concerns raised by Lumumba and Abdullahi saying the perceived corruption undermines public trust.

‘‘Corruption, whether real or imagined threatens the stability of our constitutional democratic order,” Koome said.

The CJ cited data from the latest State of the Judiciary report 2023/2024, which revealed 141 petitions against judges, 70 of which were concluded in the past fiscal year

Among judicial officers, seven complaints were processed, with three concluded.

Additionally, 116 disciplinary cases involving Judiciary staff were registered, 11 of which involved allegations of bribery.

Social media claims from Senior Counsel Abdullahi have added to the Judiciary’s woes.

She directed the JSC to investigate Abdullahi’s allegations, urging his cooperation in providing actionable details.

“Unsubstantiated claims should not undo years of sacrifice for a solid constitutional order.

‘‘It is critical that we move beyond allegations to actual and backed complaints,” she stated, adding that the Judiciary would remain transparent in its pursuit of justice.

As part of the solution, Koome announced a consultative meeting with key stakeholders, including Lumumba, the Law Society of Kenya and senior members of the legal profession.

Koome referred Lumumba’s concerns to key investigative bodies, including the National Intelligence Service, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, and Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

“We must develop a comprehensive and actionable roadmap to address corruption and ensure complaints contain sufficient details for immediate action,” she emphasized.

“I have invited Prof. Lumumba, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) leadership, and senior counsel representatives to join heads of courts and the JSC in developing a comprehensive roadmap to tackle corruption.”

In her commitment to transparency, Koome has also referred Prof. Lumumba’s concerns to key investigative bodies, including the National Intelligence Service, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

The meeting agenda includes enhancing transparency mechanisms, updating progress on existing complaints, and advancing the National Council on the Administration of Justice’s anti-corruption framework.

Koome noted that despite the challenges, the Judiciary is resolute to addressing issues raised.

“We must ensure complaints contain sufficient details to allow immediate action. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to upholding integrity and fostering public confidence in the justice system,” she declared.

The Chief Justice emphasized the collective effort required to restore faith in the judiciary.

“To register success, we must all work together for the benefit of the people and to strengthen the institutions envisioned in the Constitution of Kenya, 2010,” she urged.