Political reporter and Opposition Leaders Pinpoint Loophole in Ruto-CJ Koome Deal
On Tuesday, political reporter Chemutai Goin from Citizen TV expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the collaborative effort among the Executive, Judiciary, and Parliament to formulate and present policies aimed at combating corruption.
During her discussion on Hot96 FM, Goin examined the agreement made between President William Ruto and Chief Justice Martha Koome, asserting that the primary challenge in the fight against corruption lies not in the lack of legislation but in the execution of the laws already in place.
The experienced journalist pointed out that although laws play a crucial role in preserving order by addressing conflicts and fostering fairness and justice, the continual creation of additional policies and guidelines could potentially result in saturation.
“I have always said, in Kenya, we do not have a shortage of laws. We have sufficient laws. The goodwill of implementing those laws is what is lacking,” Chemutai Goin told the morning show hosts, Jeff Koinange and Nick Odhiambo.
“Remember whoever drafted that statement (on the joint meeting) is very cheeky. They say it was as an invitation from the Judiciary and (yet) it was a meeting of all the three arms of the government,” she wondered.
As per the senior political journalist, the majority of the suggestions put forth during the meeting at State House on Monday, January 22, primarily focused on rejuvenating the Judiciary.
The decision to formulate anti-corruption policies elicited diverse responses from Kenyan citizens, encompassing opinions from politicians and activists.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga criticized Chief Justice Koome for choosing to convene with President William Ruto at State House instead of opting for a neutral venue.
“This is an irresponsible move, if there is supposed to be dialogue over issues of governance then it must be held in a neutral place,” Raila noted.
Many other Kenyans raised concerns about the necessity of drafting anti-corruption policies, given the existence of government agencies like the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) that are mandated to address such issues.
“Everything discussed in the meeting between CJ Koome and President Ruto is a preserve of Parliament and not the Executive,” opposition politician and Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo stated during an interview on KTN News.
He contended that Ruto’s move to allocate an additional 35 judges and increase the budget for the Judiciary would necessitate a legal amendment.
On Monday, January 22, the three branches of the government convened and pledged to improve service delivery, combat corruption, and bolster the overall administration of justice to increase accountability for Kenyan citizens.
The triumvirate committed to formulating policies, guidelines, regulations, and legislative proposals to address corruption, enhance service delivery, and augment institutional accountability across all branches of government.
To realize these objectives, the government agreed to draft proposals within 30 days, which would be submitted to the National Council of the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) convened by Chief Justice Martha Koome.
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Political reporter and Opposition Leaders Pinpoint Loophole in Ruto-CJ Koome Deal
