Kenya’s Chief Justice Martha Koome has admitted that corruption remains a menace in and out of the judiciary, terming it “a national embarrassment”.
Ms Koome in a News Interview said she was concerned that the prosecution of cases involving corruption and embezzlement of public funds was taking too long.
Chief Justice Koome said trust in the judiciary had waned and she was focusing on giving Kenyans an institution they can have confidence in and one that is relevant to them.
The 61-year-old was appointed in May by President Uhuru Kenyatta after coming top of 10 candidates interviewed in front of a live television audience by Kenya’s Judicial Service Commission (JSC). She is the first woman to hold the position in Kenya.
Ms Koome also spoke about mending relations with the executive, which soured after the Supreme Court in 2017 annulled Mr Kenyatta’s victory in August that year, citing irregularities. The court ordered a revote, which Mr Kenyatta went on to win amid an opposition boycott.
The judiciary has since complained of budget cuts intended to undermine its operations, while the president has disregarded court orders and slowed down the appointment of new judges.
She said it was up to both arms of the government to work together to remedy this.
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