Chief Justice Maraga Is In Pain And He Should Be Listened To Before It’s Too Late
By now, the drift between two arms of the government the executive and Judiciary are clear and I must say, the pettiness and the episodes that can only be termed as below the belt are just jaw-dropping. When the reigning President failed to secure a second term in the first round of the 2017 election, he was firm and adamant that ‘people’ will feel the heat once he assumes office and here it is…the promised ‘revenge’ is the reason Chief Justice David Maraga is now breaking the silence.
Justice Maraga has accused government officials of planning to oust him from his seat before the end of 2019 saying that the intended move has been advised by his straightforwardness and adherence to the constitution. Within Maraga’s duration of being justice, Kenyans have seen an increase in corruption cases involving high profile persons in the government and within circles, Maraga calls “Wenye hii nchi”. Complains, however, have been that courts have not jailed the said people and they only have hearings that go unheard after being aired by the media. Maraga has blamed lack of proper facilitation and a big cut in the Judiciary’s budget for lack of seamless operations by his office.
The monies that have been cut by almost 50 percent have affected operations within the judiciary from how efficiently judges can maneuver from court to court, the establishment of mobile courts which highly determines how long a case could take as well as employment of enough stuff in various courts across the country. The Justice has pointed out a lack of allowances such as those of internet connection, fuel and even for facilities such as toilets for staff and members of the public in Judiciary premises.
Crippling Kenya
The Legislature, Executive and Judiciary arms of the government were initially formed in order to play various roles and mostly in collaboration to ensure a satisfied citizenry. Even with hiccups here and there, these three arms are mandated with a lot when it comes to delivering services for Kenyans or any given country. By turning against each other, the Mwananchi is at a crossfire and how it ends is anyone’s guess.
Corruption cannot be fought by campaigns, walking protests, Throwing tantrums or even exchanges on twitter or any social media platform whatsoever but only in courts. By depriving judges and judiciary officials of a good working environment, that is silently giving a nod to loopholes that will only make crime in Kenya normal by going unpunished. Overwhelming these officers only means they slowly become open to any penny needed to twist or drop a case, without considering its magnitude. A good example is how cases such as murder and burglary are going unpunished with bonds and bails being thrown at suspects only on first appearance in court. Corruption cases, on the other hand, have become a circus as bribes make their way to pockets within the Judiciary.
Facilitation of the Judiciary is as important as it is for other arms of the government and slowly but surely, all in the name of revenge and despise, Kenya will be on its knees. Incidences such as withdrawal of escort, VIP privileges or even lack of public acknowledgment should break any Kenyan’s heart considering this is a personal feud that will yield dire consequences.
