CJ Koome Denies Calling for Uhuru’s Impeachment

Chief Justice Martha Koome has dispelled reports that she has initiated a move to impeach president Uhuru Kenyatta.

Koome was Saturday night replying to an article by Daily Nation that Uhuru rejected the nomination of six judges who had been recommended by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) for appointment in 2021.

Thtough her lawyer Charles Kanjama, Koome faulted Uhuru for failing to appoint the six judges as required by law but did not called for his impeachment as indicated by the paper.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Chief Justice Koome has not made an application seeking the president’s impeachment,” lawyer’s statement reads in parts.

“The appeal merely notes that the appropriate remedy to the Katiba Institute petition is a declaration that the cure for violation of the Constitution is impeachment of the President or any other order that secures his direct accountability to the Court,” he added.

Koome also touched on the Katiba Institute to have her swear in the six judges instead of the president in 2020 after taking over the office.

“The role of appointing judges is given in the Constitution to the President and not the Chief Justice. It would create an unfortunate two-tier system in the Judiciary if some judges came into office without presidential appointment,” Kanjama noted.

Instead, she gave the Katiba institute another move that could see the president dealt with for refusing to appoint the judges.

“The proper remedy to Katiba Institute, which went to court, is for the existing constitutional enforcement mechanism to be applied to deal with the President’s refusal to appoint the six judges,” she said.