President William Ruto on Wednesday called on the National Police Service (NPS) and the Judiciary to work together for the common good of the Kenyan people.
The President, appearing to wade into the tiff between Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli and Chief Justice Martha Koome during the launch of Reforms of the Police and Kenya Prisons in Nairobi, noted that a squabble between the two institutions should be averted since it was likely to hamper service delivery.
According to Ruto, despite the National Police Service (NPS) and the Judiciary being independent institutions, there was a need for both bodies to coexist peacefully since no government office was created for personal endeavours.
“I am acutely aware that the National Police Service is an independent and so is the Judiciary but ultimately we have one master, the people of Kenya,” Ruto said.
“I want to ask all of us to work together selflessly for the good of the nation. We must make sure we work together towards serving Kenyans,” he added.
Besides addressing the tiff between the Judiciary and the Police Service, President Ruto also called on other government agencies to exercise more collaboration and create a balanced relationship.
"I really want to ask for a much more harmonious engagement and relationship between our different arms of the government and also our different independent institutions," the President noted.
The Head of State further disclosed that the government would do everything possible to protect the rule of law and allow constitutional offices to operate independently.
"We must by all means defend our democracy and the rule of law. We must ensure that we also defend our independent institutions and work together towards the common good of Kenyans," Ruto reiterated.
The statement by President Ruto comes hardly two days after Chief Justice Martha Koome accused Acting IG Masengeli of undermining the Judiciary.
Koome while addressing the press on September 16, faulted the police boss for allegedly withdrawing Justice Lawrence Mugambi's security personnel after the judicial officer sentenced Masengeli to six months in prison.
However, in a rebuttal, the Acting Police IG would later dismiss the allegations insisting that the judge's security detail had been restored.
