This archive report was first published on 15 June 2020.
On June 15, 2020, lawyers from the Mt Kenya region expressed their support for Chief Justice David Maraga's criticism of President Uhuru Kenyatta's failure to swear in 41 judges vetted by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Speaking at Alba Hotel in Meru, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Mt Kenya Branch Chairperson Lindah Kiome stated that the failure by the Head of State to appoint the judges has greatly affected service delivery by the Judiciary in its bid to clear the backlog of cases and decongest prisons.
The lawyers also criticized the Executive for what they termed as 'runaway contempt of the courts.'
Ms Kiome argued that the allegations that some of the 41 judges are tainted should not be used to prevent the appointments, as the Attorney-General should have used the public vetting platform to table the allegations.
'These 41 judges went through a public interview process that was televised in Kenya and beyond. The AG and the Executive had a grand opportunity to present any existent reservations during this process,' Ms Kiome said.
The lawyers urged courts to be more ruthless in punishing people accused of contempt, citing the recent forcible evictions in Kariobangi while there was a court order barring the same.
