Update: Monday, September 19, 1.00 p.m : Chief Justice Martha Koome skipped the Parliamentary induction ceremony, where she was to deliver a keynote speech after an uproar by Azimo MPs over her name.
Speaking during the session, Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei announced that Court of Appeal President Daniel Musinga would deliver the statement in place of CJ Koome.
"Allow me to present his lordship Justice Daniel Musinga who is representing the Chief Justice. His topic will be on interlinkages and interdependence between parliament and the judiciary," Shollei remarked.
Azimio-affiliated Members of Parliament (MPs) have protested the allocation of time to Chief Justice Martha Koome to address lawmakers during their induction.
Speaking to the media on Monday, September 19, Nyando lawmaker Jared Okelo stated that the coalition party had no time for CJ Koome, noting that she had fallen short of upholding the constitution of Kenya.
Okelo argued that her presence at the week-long orientation event would only re-open a fresh wound she inflicted on the party, particularly calling out on the language she used during the Supreme Court ruling on the Presidential petition.
"We are dissatisfied that Parliament has invited the Chief Justice to come and make a presentation. The judgment that she rendered was full of insults and I do not think we deserved them.
"She does not interpret the law as it ought to be. We will respectfully walk away when she shows up to make that presentation," he stated.
On his part, Funyula MP Wilberforce Oundo poked holes at the conduct of the Supreme Court Judges when delivering a ruling on a sensitive election. Oundo asked Koome to concentrate on reforming her arm of the government.
"We expect judges and people in the judiciary to be of good manner and temper so that whatever judgement they render is not full of innuendos. When she comes, or at whatever venue, has the time to redeem the image o the judiciary that respects the people of Kenya," he stated.
However, in a thinly veiled attack, Okelo opted to use the words uttered by the president of the Supreme Court against her, expressing that she had nothing new to offer the 13th August House.
"There is nothing new that she can bring to the MPs because we have copies of the constitution and standing orders,"
"Whatever she is bringing here today is full of hot air, an unproven hypothesis, red herring and all the negative attributes that she described our petition with," the lawmaker chided.
The legislators reiterated a call by their leader, Raila Odinga, for immediate reforms of the judiciary. In his first public address after the verdict, Odinga accused the apex court of being dictators who subverted the will of the people.
He also revealed plans to remove Koome and the seven-judge bench from office, calling for a march to the judiciary in a bid to have them resign.
