Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu is in the process of altering the Judiciary Law likely to have Chief Justice Martha Koome's powers trimmed.
A report by the Nation on Sunday, August 1, indicated that the MP seeks to have the position of Chief Justice demoted from chairing the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Instead, the lawmaker proposes that the position should be headed by a non-lawyer who is not a member of the Judiciary.
The MP, close ally of President Uhuru Kenyatta, decried that JSC has so many lawyers and wants to have the number of non-lawyers increased. Current, only two non-lawyers seat among the team of 11.
Wambugu proposes that the membership should be increased to at least 19 individuals from the current 11.
He notes that the extra seats would include representatives from both the youth as well as women organisations to boost equality.
The new law also proposes that the Magistrates and judges should be held responsible for rulings with a provision allowing lawyers to appeal against rulings that were done in bad faith.
"There should be a process of holding a person of holding a person making bad decision to account. Currently, they are not questioned or held accountable," he told the publication.
The lawmaker is also seeking to have the public's role in adjudication of justice expanded by the introduction of a jury which consists largely of non-lawyers.
He argued that the jury system would play a big role in ending biases in rulings as well as tone down corruption levels in the Judiciary.
It is expected that if the changes are approved, the already strained relationship between the Executive and the Judiciary may worsen.
During former CJ David Maraga's tenure, the Judiciary and the Executive were largely at loggerheads with the funding of the third arm of government being the bone of contention.
