Chief Justice Martha Koome has announced that the Judiciary will be working with the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to tackle the scourge of corruption.
In an address on Tuesday, the embattled head of the Judiciary admitted that the country’s third arm is under intense scrutiny and issued directives to all court staff in a bid to improve public perception.
While addressing the challenges facing the courts for the first time, CJ Koome revealed that the Judiciary will be adopting an intelligence-led approach to combating corruption. According to Koome, the courts have been relying on complaints lodged with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and the Office of the Judiciary Ombudsman as the primary tools to fight corruption.
However, she noted that this approach has limitations, necessitating a change in strategy to tackle the vice.
“We are now complementing the complaints approach with an intelligence-based model that involves working closely with the EACC and the National Intelligence Service,” CJ Koome announced.
She added, “This partnership allows us to proactively identify patterns, hotspots, and individuals who may be engaging in corrupt practices and to intervene early. Our objective is to protect the integrity of the institution and to create a culture where corruption cannot thrive, where corruption is absolutely eradicated.”
Koome, who, alongside her Supreme Court colleagues, is fighting to remain in office, asserted that the Judiciary is a corruption-free zone.
“The Judiciary is a corruption-free zone… And in this regard, we have adopted a zero-tolerance policy on corruption, and we are determined to enforce it without fear or favour,” she said.
The Chief Justice in her address, acknowledged that the courts that are facing calls for ouster over the handling of various cases admitted that there are gaps in the justice system, an admission that has long been coming.
“This scrutiny is a moment of reckoning and an opportunity for deep reflection and reform. It compels us to reaffirm our commitment to the values of integrity and efficiency that are at the heart of our calling to serve justice to the public. We have said many times, times without number, that justice cannot be for sale, that justice cannot be compromised for anything,” she insisted.
While responding to one of the criticisms from the former Law Society of Kenya President Nelson Havi over the postponement of cases and the long waits before the delivery of verdicts, CJ Koome directed that court calendars be aligned and ordered “an end to unnecessary adjournments.”
While it remains unclear how the NIS will operate within the judiciary, the Koome expects that with intelligence, the court can get ahead of graft.
She said, "Justice cannot be for sale."
