LSK wants Peter Salasya arrested for threatening magistrate

Mumias East MP Peter Salasya. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has condemned threats against magistrate Gladys Kiama by Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya.

Salasya allegedly threatened the magistrate after she ordered him to pay a debt of Sh500,000 to businessman Robert Lutta in a ruling on Monday.

In a statement on Wednesday, November 29, LSK termed Salasya's actions as "a threat to the democratic rights of a judicial officer."

"The Judiciary plays a pivotal role in upholding justice and any attempts at interference with its independence is a matter of grave concern," read the statement in part.

According to a police report filed at Kakamega police station, Kiama alleged that Salasya confronted her outside the courtroom threatened to kill her, and then took off.

The LSK has called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to launch an immediate investigation into the matter to ensure that judicial officers work without fear or intimidation.

"The Law Society of Kenya urges the DCI to conduct a thorough, speedy, and impartial investigation to determine the facts surrounding the alleged threats. The safety of judicial officers is critical to maintaining the integrity of the Judiciary and we expect that all necessary steps will be taken to provide a secure environment for the Magistrate and indeed all judicial officers to carry out their mandate without interference," said LSK.

Further, the lawyers have called for the immediate arrest of Salasya should the ongoing investigations substantiate the allegations against him.

Salasya's threat has also drawn the attention of the Kenya Magistrates and Judges Association (KMJA) who have come to the defense of the Kakamega magistrate.

" The security situation obtaining in our Kakamega station brings to the fore the unfortunate and sorry state the Judicial officers find themselves in. They are vulnerable and exposed. The action of openly threatening our colleague for doing her judicial work stinks to hell," KMJA President Derrick Kuto said.