This archive report was first published on 24 August 2020.
Kenya: CJ Maraga Stands Firm on Presidential Poll Decision ¶
Chief Justice David Maraga has reaffirmed his stance on the nullification of President Uhuru Kenyatta's 2017 poll win, stating he would still make the same decision based on the evidence presented to the court.
Speaking in an interview with NTV, Maraga emphasized that his decision was not taken lightly and was based on the Constitution and the evidence presented to the court.
On September 1, 2017, the Supreme Court, led by Maraga, ruled that the August 8 election had not been conducted in accordance with the Constitution and declared it invalid, null, and void.
Maraga stated that he has no regrets over the decision and would still make the same ruling even 10 years later, based on the evidence presented to the court.
He also addressed the personal attacks and frustrations he faced, including the slashing of allocations to the Judiciary, but emphasized that these attacks only emboldened him to stand firm on his convictions.
Maraga also spoke about the performance of the Judiciary in the war on corruption, stating that the criticism of the courts as being the weakest link was unfair and that the Judiciary had performed above board.
He also expressed disappointment over the President's failure to appoint 41 judges despite several orders, which he said was crippling the courts.
