Chief Justice David Maraga and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) have refuted remarks by President Uhuru Kenyatta that he was appointed as a gift to the Kisii region.
CJ Maraga sent a personal statement saying the recruitment process for the position of Chief Justice had nothing to do with politics.
"I have restrained myself from responding to these false statements so as not to give them undue prominence or credence. However, they continue to be claimed and peddled around as if they are the truth, and in total disregard of their corrosive effect on the perception of the independence of the Judiciary," said Maraga.
In a statement sent to newsrooms on Monday, JSC secretary Anne Amadi said that President Kenyatta's statement was erroneous and substantially misleading to the public.
Amadi stated that the remarks could be misconstrued to imply that there was a political hand in the appointment of CJ Maraga.
"Any implication, deliberate or inadvertent, that the appointment of the CJ was part of a political scheme is a grave distortion of law and fact," reiterated Amadi.
She added that President Uhuru’s remarks on the CJ were unfortunate since the President expressly exercised his role on the appointment of the CJ within the strict and limited provisions of Article 166.
The secretary noted that there was neither room nor opportunity for the President to discharge the function he alluded to in a political manner.
"The Judiciary, in exercise of its authority, is only subject to the constitution and the law, and not to any person or authority," highlighted Amadi.
President Kenyatta had on his tour in Bonchari told residents that his administration had done a lot for the region but some individuals could not appreciate it.
Uhuru pointed out that leaders such as Education CS Fred Matiang’i and the CJ were appointed out to show the government had Kisii county's interests at heart.
