Treasury CS Ukur Yattani on Tuesday, November 5, responded to Chief Justice David Maraga over his rant on alleged unfairness that was being meted upon the Judiciary by the Executive.
Speaking to Waihiga Mwaura on Citizen TV, Yattani stated that he had been shocked to hear such sentiments coming from the chief justice and claimed they were without basis.
"I was equally shocked at the kind of public address by the Judiciary. What they should have done is just to seek an appointment, we sit with them and see areas that we can mitigate," he spoke.
Yattani further explained that he had not reduced the Judiciary's budget or any other arm of the government, as Maraga had alleged in his press conference.
"What we have done is that we instituted measures to continue funding the activities and the programs based on the availability of the exchequer. We release the money to you based on what we can afford for the period," Yattani clarified.
He added that the budget could even be carried forward if need be, but that the Treasury could not service one arm of the government and exclude others.
"We have equally important compelling activities that run in this country on a day to day basis, including water and infrastructure," he told Waihiga.
The tough-talking CJ had called for a press conference at the Supreme Court in Nairobi on Monday, November 4, to decry how the Judiciary had been affected by Treasury's austerity measures.
He had also lamented that his office was being looked down upon and its mandate interfered with by other arms of government.
"I will now choose which state functions to attend as I’m always treated contemptuously like it happened during Mashujaa Day where my presence was not even acknowledged. I was allowed on to the stage through a side door," he had lamented.
Video courtesy of Citizen TV
