Murang'a Senator Irungu Kang'ata has threatened to lay the ground for the removal of Chief Justice David Maraga over his remarks regarding the consensual sex age legislation.
Maraga had criticised Parliament for throwing out a Bill that sought to lower the age for consensual sex from 18 to 16 years.
“There is an obvious injustice of filling up the jails with teenage offenders who get intimate with fellow teenagers as they experiment in their adolescence,” Maraga remarked.
Kang'ata was of the opinion that the CJ had overstepped his mandate by commenting on a matter that was handled by Parliament.
"Maraga can’t purport to legislate while sitting at the bench, which is the work of legislators. I will use different avenues to ensure that he resigns because his suggestions on sexual offences will corrupt family values.
"It is unfortunate that he suggests reducing the consensual age while it should be increased to 22 years,” Kangata stated.
The senator added that he would consult the Building Bridges team to propose a change in the constitution to eliminate a loophole that judges took advantage of to make laws.
Kang'ata also faulted Maraga for supporting Fida's view on the Bill, accusing the Judiciary of being used by a non governmental organisation.
“Maraga’s validation of Fida’s western values is a testament of judicial capture by NGOs hence the recent pro-gay rulings. I, being a lawyer, will not sit and watch as the judges who should be giving the way mislead the country,” he affirmed.
"Fida had noted the problematic Section 8 of the Sexual Offences Act, which criminalises sex among teenagers, and had proposed that the section be amended along the Romeo and Juliet right so as to reduce the number of teenage boys going to jail,” Maraga had commented.
