Lawmaker makes a stink over Sh167m donated to Judiciary

A Member of Parliament has questioned the purpose of Sh167 million donated to the Judiciary by two global organisations that “openly support gay and lesbian rights”.

Kiharu MP Irungu Kangata wants Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and Chief Registrar Anne Amadi to explain what Sh87 million from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and a further Sh80 million from the Ford Foundation was meant for. The two organizations, he said, have openly declared support for same sex rights.

The Sh167 million was allocated for “capacity building” for the Judicial Service Commission, with an extra Sh2 billion from the National Treasury set aside for the expansion of magistrates courts.

The legislator pointed out same sex relationships are illegal.

“The Judiciary must come clear as to why it accepted financing from Ford Foundation, which has a programme of supporting gay rights,” he said at a press conference Thursday.

“It should tell us why the Sh17 billion allocated to it by the Treasury for the 2015/16 financial year is not enough.”

The MP said the money could be a means to influence the Judiciary’s functions, yet it is supposed to be an independent institution.

The Kiharu MP, who sits in the National Assembly Justice and Legal Affairs committee, said Ms Amadi failed to respond to his queries on the foundations’ donations when she appeared before the House to defend the Judiciary budget.

“Ms Amadi said she will come back to me with concrete answers when she failed to respond to my inquiry on the huge Ford Foundation financing. I want answers now,” he said.

Ford Foundation and UNDP support numerous programmes across various fields involving State institutions and civil society groups.

Mr Kangata also challenged the Judiciary to open up about a seminar organized by Ford Foundation and attended by a number of judges days before the High Court ruled that the Registrar of Societies should facilitate the registration of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender (LGBT) society.

“I want the Judiciary to come clean on this seminar and tell us the agenda… and who attended it. I am posing questions… so that (those of) us who are litigants in the appeal against the ruling can ask the said judges to disqualify themselves.” 

Mr Kangata revealed that John Cardinal Njue has agreed to lead a demonstration on June 24, from Uhuru Park to the Judiciary, to question the ruling that allowed registration of gay groups and funding from Ford Foundation and UNDP.

Justice Mutunga served as the Ford Foundation Representative for Eastern Africa before being appointed as the Chief Justice in 2011.

Mutunga has also served as a programme officer on human rights and women’s rights during his tenure at the Ford Foundation.