BY OCHI BABA (On Facebook)
Yesterday the C.J lamented that she’s being bullied by some unspecified people in a bid to force her resignation. She feared calling Ex LSK Presidents Nelson Havi and Grandmullah Ahmednasir SC Abdullahi by name.
Methinks the CJ has tried to work on her agenda of social transformation through access to justice despite the run away corruption in the Judiciary. She has established Small Claims Courts that ensure speedy resolution of cases. The online court is something to be proud of despite the teething problems of e-filing.
Whereas there will never cease people to attack the CJ on virtually anything, the CJ should not reduce that to what she calls Cyber Bullying Gender Based Violence. Nobody is attacking the CJ because of her gender but agenda. People who are dissatisfied with how the Judiciary is run must raise their concern. Those who are okay with things must also be allowed to compliment the CJ.
The CJ should know that her predecessors were viciously attacked but none of them said they were being attacked because they were men. The destructors even planted women on CJ Emeritus Maraga but he never said it was gender based violence. Dr. Mutunga was labeled sisi kwa sisi but he never called it gender based violence. CJ Emeritus Evan Gicheru was called a state apologist but he never said it was because of his gender.
Waving the gender card every time dissatisfied members of the Bar and the public raise concern about your leadership is lame. The calling of your High Office has its good perks and also bad ones as you’re exposed to public scrutiny. If the office of the CJ was occupied by a man, I believe the critics could have still voiced their dissatisfaction. It is not about gender but the office of the CJ.
I want to believe that the CJ is not corrupt but as far as the corruption in the Judiciary is concerned the buck stops with her as the head and also Chair of JSC.
There is a lot of angst and anger from court users on how nothing moves unless one parts with something. Getting a decree or typed proceedings in these courts should be included in a thousand ways to die.
There may be a very corrupt court clerk in far flung areas of this country but the buck still stops with the CJ.
When we are frustrated we turn to the CJ. We can give compliments or complaints depending on how we conceive and perceive things. There’s nothing personal.
When I personally was dissatisfied with how a judge handled a simple bail application, I wrote to the JSC. Of course they haven’t responded. I know it’s perhaps the fault of the Secretariat there but the buck still stops with the CJ.
Enough said.
(The post was published on the writer’s wall on Facebook, he reserves the right to this article)
