Lawyer Miguna Miguna has revealed worrying details amid a war between President William Ruto and the Judiciary.
President Ruto caused an uproar after making remarks against the Judiciary.
The head of state while speaking in Nyandarua on Tuesday, January 2, alleged that some rulings made by the Judiciary were slowing down the implementation of the Kenya Kwanza development agenda.
One of the rulings that provoked the President’s ire was the court order that halted the implementation of the 1.5 per cent housing levy on salaried Kenyans, declaring it unconstitutional.
President Ruto claimed that the court order was a setback to his administration’s efforts to provide affordable housing to Kenyans, which is one of the pillars of the Kenya Kwanza development agenda, and hinted at disobeying subsequent orders.
This irked a section of Kenyans, with the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) announcing that it will organize peaceful protests across the country in defense of the rule of law and in solidarity with the Judiciary.
LSK has also urged its members to wear purple ribbons throughout the next week as a symbol of protest against the President’s threats to defy court orders, which it termed as a “constitutional coup” and a “return of an autocratic regime.”
However, the State House in a quick rejoinder affirmed that President Ruto’s push for judicial reforms is unstoppable, telling off the LSK for criticising and attempting to advise the Head of State on the independence of the Judiciary and Constitutionalism.
In a subsequent statement by Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, State House intimated that the advice by LSK was not necessary as the President has consistently upheld the rule of law and respected court orders, even in regards to his affordable housing pet project.
The State House response prompted Miguna Miguna to take to his official social media accounts to reveal details that should worry Kenyans.
According to Miguna Miguna, this is just but the beginning of dictatorship in the country.
Miguna says dictatorship starts when the country is hungry, exhausted and desperate.
He goes ahead to note that the dictatorship starts by killing organized institutions and spaces that would protect the people against excesses by those in power.
“This is how dictatorship starts. It creeps in when the country is hungry, exhausted and desperate. It starts by killing organized institutions and spaces that would protect the people against excesses by those in power.
“We cannot allow anyone to turn the judiciary into a scared, threatened and bludgeoned institution because that cannot be in the interest of the people. We need a strong, INDEPENDENT, competent and ETHICAL judiciary. We cannot build one through executive threats, intimidation, coercion, or bribery!” Miguna posted.
In a separate statement, the JSC had also expressed concern over the public criticism and vilification of judges and judicial officers for issuing court orders that are perceived to be against state programmes and policies.
JSC reaffirmed the independence and integrity of the judiciary as “a co-equal arm of government”, as enshrined in the constitution, and urged all judges and judicial officers to continue performing their judicial duties “without fear or favour”.
