Chief Justice Maraga vows to prioritise fight against graft
Chief Justice David Kenani Maraga during his swearing in at State House Nairobi on October 19, 2016. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
President Uhuru Kenyatta called on the new CJ to speed up hearing of cases especially for the 2,000 people remanded in prisons whose cases are ongoing.
Justice David Maraga has been sworn in as Kenya’s second Chief Justice under the new constitution, replacing his predecessor Justice Willy Mutunga who retired in June.
Speaking after taking oath of office at State House early Wednesday, CJ Maraga vowed to ensure Kenyans feel the value of justice by speeding up case hearings and clearing backlogs.
“The burden of delivery is high on me as Chief Justice but I aim to succeed. My interest is to fight graft, reduce backlog, improve service delivery and make the Judiciary more accountable,” he said.
Justice Maraga, 66, said he had information that corruption within the corridors of justice was on the rise but assured Kenyans that he would institutionalize the war on corruption to be part of the Judiciary's culture rather than something done periodically.
President Uhuru Kenyatta called on the new CJ to speed up hearing of cases especially for the 2,000 people remanded in prisons whose cases are ongoing and some whose files have gone missing.
“These are 20,000 Kenyans being held and who have already made a first appearance in court. They are costing tax payers who pay my salary and yours. We have to feed and maintain them but above all, we are also denying them their rights because justice delayed is justice denied,” he said.
President Kenyatta noted that while the Executive recognises and respects the independence of the judiciary, it did not rule out interdependence and working together to better serve Kenyans.
The former appellate judge was sworn in after MPs endorsed a report by the Justice and Legal Affairs committee - which approved his nomination - on the vetting of his appointment at a special session last evening.
In his first role in office, the new Chief Justice will swear in the selection panel appointed to recruit the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners later today.
