Chief Justice Martha Koome has defended herself against claims that she is a 'corrupt judge' amid claims from a section of Kenyans that she is corrupt and incompetent.
Speaking during an interview with BBC Africa Daily podcast on Monday, November 10, the Chief Justice revealed that those allegations were aimed at tarnishing her reputation; however, she reaffirmed her role in the judiciary.
"The claims were supposed to lower my credibility. It is supposed to distract me. I know who I am, and I know what I have done and what I am going to do," the CJ told BBC.
Her defense comes after Kenyans accused her of being corrupt, going ahead to name her 'Jurispesa' which is a conjunction of the legal term jurisprudence and the Swahili word for money 'pesa', accusing her of her preference for money rather than justice.
The moniker came after a furry of corruption cases linked to some government officials and allies of President William Ruto were dropped. Although this is a decision made by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP), the public prosecutors apply to revoke the cases to judges already listening to the cases.
The CJ Koome reiterated that in her years of service, she has never been bribed before, and was not about to accept being bribed.
"In all these 22 years I’ve been a judge and a chief justice, nobody has ever approached me with a bribe. I would have them arrested," Martha Koome told the BBC.
Koome challenged those accusing them of corruption asking anyone making such accusations to present the evidence to the security agencies or the judicial oversight commission. The CJ further told BBC that some of the accusations against her are fronted because of her gender.
"It is total misogyny. It is total chauvinism," Koome claimed.
Kenya’s judiciary has long been marred by claims of corruption and in 2021 Justice Koome told the BBC that corruption was "a national embarrassment in and out of the judiciary.
Her defense comes after President William Ruto urged the Judiciary to exercise restraint on national and public interest matters to prevent individuals and groups whose goal is to advance their sectarian agenda.
According to the President, while the Executive is committed to refraining from interfering in matters under the purview of the other arms of government, the Judiciary should also restrain itself from interfering with matters within the purview of other government branches.
The President was of the view that governments are elected on the basis of a manifesto and stressed that this should carry more weight in court.
Ruto was speaking during the official opening of the Supreme Court of Kenya at 12 Conference at the Supreme Court grounds in Nairobi on November 4, 2024.
