When rain clouds gather around Judiciary, beware a mighty 'mugumo' is about to fall

President William Ruto and Chief Justice Martha Koome during the commemoration of 12 years since the establishment of the Supreme Court in Nairobi, on November 4, 2024. [PCS]

The Supreme Court of the Republic of Kenya turned 12 this month in a ceremony presided over by Prezzo Bill Ruto. And what was meant to be a celebration of the milestone turned into a harangue from Prezzo Ruto: the courts must not frustrate the government from achieving its agenda, even if that includes taxing Kenyans to death, forcing GMOs down their throats, or scrapping THIS for THAT.

I am exaggerating, of course, but I suppose the Supreme Court judges got the message. They are either going to acquiesce to the dictate of Prezzo or ship out. Never mind that this is supposed to be an independent arm of government.

That’s in theory, we all understand, and in functioning democracies, ours excluded, as the doctrine of separation of powers is only invoked when Rigathi Gachagua aka Riggy G, the impeached former Deputy Prezzo, is being routed out of power.

So, all Prezzo Ruto needs to do is to dangle a pen and say: I’m not signing off this year’s disbursement until… And the Judiciary can do absolutely nothing, other than lament in the Press about this mistreatment.

Or, if some of the judges are not playing ball and Prezzo wants one out, all he needs to do is to establish a tribunal to investigate the conduct of the said judge and they will be driven out of town before they can say Riggy G!

Since I come from a clan of rainmakers, I can tell the rain clouds are gathering around the Judiciary, and a ‘mugumo’ is about to fall.