Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has singled out Justice Isaac Lenaola for alleged intimidation of Busia senator Okiya Omutatah.
Speaking during a parliamentary group meeting on Friday, September 16, Raila alleged that the senator who had filed a petition challenging the election victory of President William Ruto accused the Supreme Court judge of confronting him over his comments in regard to the verdict.
He added that the allegations were a demonstration that the verdict issued on September 5 was not just.
“We have also come from a Judiciary which invested in intimidation. Today Supreme Court is threatening those talking about the judgement.
Hon. Justice Lenaola Njagi (left) giving orders as Hon. Justice Smokin Wanjala (right) watches on at the Supreme court on August 31, 2022
Judiciary
“In fact, Justice Isaac Lenaola is publicly accused of threatening Senator Okiya Omtatah with ruination over his stand on the court judgement,” Raila alleged.
Attack on CJ Martha Koome
Additionally, he accused Chief Justice Martha Koome of subverting the will of the people adding that the Judiciary had been captured by the state.
“Today the Supreme Court is threatening those who petitioned the case before them. Chief Justice Martha Koome has also stopped Kenyans from discussing the judgement. She went to her village to defend the verdict even before they released the full judgement. She said the ruling was inspired by God, I say It was inspired by the devil.
“CJ Koome’s actions are clearly sycophantic, she has demeaned the dignity of the office of CJ. In less than a year, she has destroyed what her predecessors achieve in 10 years,” an irked Raila slammed.
Next Course of Action
Further, he stated that they were embarking on three actions in the coming weeks – saving the Judiciary which is offering itself to state capture, transforming IEBC to make it ready to hold a credible election and protecting the legislature from offering itself to state capture.
Odinga argued that there is a push by the Executive to own the Judiciary through illegal actions that amount to bribery. He claimed that the motive was the reason behind President William Ruto appointing six judges his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, had declined to promote.
These were Justices Aggrey Muchelule, George Odunga, Weldon Korir, Joel Ngugi, Makori Evans and Omange Judith Elizabeth.
“This is the reason for the rush to appoint six judges and allocate money to the Judiciary. I have fears about where CJ Koome’s ruling leaves our elections and democracy, now and in the future.
“We have had the worst election since the return of multiparty politics in our country. At the presidential level, it is not possible to tell whether we had elections at all. At the lower levels, I believe a number of our people were rigged out to pave way for a UDA majority,” Raila lamented.
President William Ruto shakes hands with Chief Justice Martha Koome during the swearing-in of judges at State House on September 14, 2022.
The former Prime Minister further argued that the strong language the Supreme Court used while issuing the ruling indicated that their attitude was that of thuggery and cynicism.
“The words they used against us have never been used in our courts even in the dark days of one-party rule and state capture of the Judiciary.
“CJ Koome described our case, presented by the country’s finest legal minds, as not more than hot air, wild goose chase and hearsay evidence, whenever judges result to insults, it is the result of a disturbed conscience,” Raila stated.
CJ Koome, Justice Lenaola and the Supreme Court have not yet responded to the allegations.
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