Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) denounces attempts to undermine Judiciary, calls on accountability among Judicial officers

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 12…The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Electoral Law and Governance Institute (ELGIA), Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) among other Civil Society Organisations while addressing media have expressed concern over country’s Judiciary experiencing strained relations with Executive undermining its work.

They noted that the sustained attacks to Judiciary appear to be part of concerning partten to deligitimize the Judiciary highlighting security withdrawal for Chief Justice Martha Koome and Justice Lawrence Mugambi marked an escalation reinforcing concerns about undue influence on Judiciary constitutional mandate.

“Judiciary bold decisions have led to public attacks and vilification of Judiciary for issuing orders that are perceived to be against the state, the breach of rule of law not only delays justice but also creates instability by weakening Judiciary’s role as an impartial arbiter and eroding its credibility as an effective check on the other branches of government”, they said.

They further emphasized on accountability on judicial officers noting judicial independence does not absolve judicial officers from accountability.

“We must emphasized that no judge including those serving on the Supreme Court are above the law, when allegations of unprofessional conduct or impropriety arise, they must be addressed through established constitutional mechanisms that uphold due process and the rule of law”.

In addition they called upon judicial officers to perform there duties according to high ethical standards with court proceedings remaining transparent and accessible.

“Decisions should be accompanied by judgements subject to established appeal procedures, effective complaints systems and disciplinary mechanisms are essential not to undermine judiciary but to strengthen it by ensuring public confidence in its integrity”, they further stated.

As allegations on Supreme Court Judges proceed, they urged strict adherence to fair trial guarantees and procedural safeguards, ensuring that accountability reinforces rather than undermines judicial independence.

“Accountability must remain intergral ensuring that judicial officers perform their duties ethically and transparently, the future of Kenya’s democracy depends on a Judiciary that is both independent and accountable a combination essential for restoring public confidence and upholding the constitution”.