The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has issued six demands to President William Ruto and Chief Justice Martha Koome, criticising the latter for failing to deal with institutionalized corruption within the Judiciary, which it claimed undermined public confidence.
The Society, through its President Faith Odhiambo, has urged CJ Koome to consider tracking and resolving all complaints lodged against corrupt judicial officers.
In a statement shared by the Society on Wednesday, November 20, LSK said it had received several complaints of alleged bribery and unethical conduct by judicial officers with the Law Society, adding that such vices eroded the credibility and effectiveness of the judiciary.
“All surveys and persistent complaints from our members point to a complacent judiciary that cannot defend itself from allegations of runaway corruption within its ranks,” read part of the statement by LSK.
Led by its President, Faith Odhiambo, LSK also took a swipe at the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, for reportedly orchestrating police abductions and detention of Kenyans against Article 239 of the Constitution.
While calling for accountability within the judiciary and the National Police Service (NPS), the Law Society told President Ruto to grant strategic support to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) to probe the killings witnessed during the anti-government demonstrations in June and July this year.
The Head of State was also urged to direct the Police IG Douglas Kanja to open disciplinary proceedings against all perpetrators of police brutality during the Finance Bill 2024 demonstrations.
The Society also demanded the compensation of all the families whose kin were reportedly killed by rogue police officers during the nationwide protests.
“During the recent demonstrations, LSK worked with Kenyans and civil society. We visited police cells, homes, mortuaries, and hospitals. We observed and received complaints of total disregard for the Constitution and the rule of law,” the law society revealed.
“We saw a side of this Government that we must not only disavow but call to full accountability. We have witnessed extrajudicial killings, arrests, abductions, and extrajudicial killings,” it added.
Further, the government was urged to collaborate with humanitarian groups to ensure all those found culpable of committing brutality and damages during the anti-government protests were apprehended.
"We must focus on the wider issues of the administration of Justice. 2024 marked a revolutionary moment in constitutional development; Kenyans led by the GenZ in a protest that started with the rejection of the Finance Bill 2024 were decisive that they intend to secure full implementation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010," LSK noted.
