This archive report was first published on 5 November 2019.
Chief Justice David Maraga has hit out at the Executive for slashing the Judiciary's budget, which has led to the withdrawal of core services. Speaking outside the Supreme Court on November 4, 2019, Maraga told Kenyans to brace for delays in handling of cases and lack of basic services unless the Treasury rescinds its decision to cut the Judiciary's budget by Sh3 billion.
“Judges will not have money to fuel their vehicles, we will not have mobile courts, we will not have the Court of Appeal circuits, we will not be able to pay for wi-fi for e-filing and e-payments and plans to automate the anti-corruption courts have fallen by the wayside,” he said.
Maraga added that they had shelved plans to set up virtual courts outside the country to hasten mediation of cases. Over 15,000 cases were suspended last week after dozens of courts shut down across the country due to the crippling budget cut.
The Treasury slashed the Judiciary's budget by Sh3 billion last month, citing revenue shortfalls and need to raise funds for President Uhuru Kenyatta's Big Four agenda. The Judiciary had requested Sh31.2 billion but Parliament allocated it Sh14.5 billion, which Treasury cut to Sh11.5 billion.
Maraga claimed that tenderpreneurs and graft cartels were unhappy with the Judiciary for standing in their way and preventing them from fleecing the economy hence the move to slash the budget. He also sensationally claimed that he was aware of plans by unnamed Cabinet secretaries, principal secretaries and senior government officials to plot his removal from office.
Maraga vowed not to resign even if they push him to the wall, saying he is not serving to please any CS or PS; he is here to serve the people. He lamented that he had been denied police clearance when travelling; he did not have a Mercedes Benz, and he was not allowed to access VIP lounges at airports when travelling out of the country.
