BY SAM ALFAN.
The nomination of Court of Appeal Judge Martha to be Kenya’s next Chief Justice is major boost in the fight against corruption other than gender equality, two of the country’s vices.
If approved by the parliament and appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta to take charge of the Judiciary leadership, Justice Koome also has the capacity to bring together unity between Judiciary, Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji and Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti.
The combination of the three institutions working together will boost fight against corruption together and achieve results.
Her appointment seems to fulfill prophecy of DCI boss Kinoti who two years ago at Bomas talked of how unity of people, police, prosecution and Judiciary can boost the fight against corruption.
Further, Justice Koome does not hide the fact that corruption is rampant in the corridors of justice. During her interview in April, Justice Koome outlined her plans to stem out the vice adding that there are measures that had out in place as judges, but which she could not disclose to the public.
The mother of three has in the past revealed that she hates corruption and in fact, it is one of the reasons she kept out of criminal cases because she thought it was pervasive.
Lawyer Danstan Omari agrees that Koome’s candidature is a huge boost in the fight against corruption.
Omari said that Justice Koome will find it easy in the fight against the vice by working with other agencies such as the DCI and ODPP.
“Justice Martha Koome is perceived to be friendly to the system and this is a big advantage. With her past role in civil society, she will tap into their deep resources to get funding and develop capacity of judicial officers to fight corruption,” added Omari.
Omari added that Justice Martha having been a crusader to human rights, She might turn the effects of corruption to the citizens as a human rights issue not only an economic issue and raise its awareness a notch her.
” As a first woman Chief Justice, it will be very hard for anybody to be seen to fight against a woman She might easily get what she wants to enhance the fight against corruption,” he added.
DCI while using example of how mafia was captured after everyone was tired of the mafia, he said the people together with the three organs can collectively win war against corruption.
“I know very well that history of mafia in military, it was completely almost replica the capture of the mafia the way the war was won and the peoples cry they were wiped dry there tears it was through the collective working and bravery of their police, prosecution and their judiciary,” he said.
DCI Kinoti added that when most of them were busy, the police said no enough is enough and said our people have cried enough, let’s go fight for our people in as much as most of them were still with the mafia it was massacre.
He added that they said its okay lets die but for the worth cost of our people. The prosecution came on board and said equally we hear the cry of our people lets join the war; they joined the police, the prosecutors.
The judiciary came and said no, then we shall not be left they came on board and The war was won for their people.
He said we can equally say in Kenya and take the cry of Kenyans and say this greed, this millions we are stealing every day starting with the banks they are papers which we shall leave them in this world.
“Let us say want is enough for us is what God has given us, and the moment we say collectively we are going to fight this war together I can for sure tell you this beautiful it has plenty for each and every one of us,” he added.
Kinoti words can come true if the three institutions work with unity in fight against corruption with Justice Koome now becoming next CJ.
Kinoti that when we are thinking about or country, we are thinking about ourselves, our people at home and generations to come.
“Mine is to assure you that we are doing our best as far as investigations are concerned. But at the same time we do have quite a number of challenges though they have not reached a point of dispiriting us or rather demotivating us we are trying to say that I wish everybody in this war of corruption may come on board,” he added.
Kinoti also complained that the court injunction issued then were tampering with fights against corruption.
