The Law Society of Kenya wants police to urgently investigate claims Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya threatened Kakamega Resident Magistrate Gladys Kiama.
LSK president Eric Theuri urged the DCI to conduct thorough, speedy and impartial investigation to determine the facts surrounding the alleged threats.
He said Judicial officers must be able to carry out their functions without fear of intimidation or threats while adhering strictly to the law.
“The safety of judicial officers is critical to maintaining the integrity of the Judiciary and we expect that all necessary steps will be taken to provide a secure environment for the Magistrate and indeed all judicial officers to carry out their mandate without interference,” he said.
He also called for immediate arrest of Salasya should the ongoing investigations substantiate the serious allegations against him.
“This call for immediate legal action is crucial to send an unequivocal and strong message that threats against judicial officers will not be tolerated in our democratic society.”
“Upholding the rule of law and ensuring accountability without bias is essential to preserving the integrity of our legal system and reinforcing the principle that no individual, regardless of their standing, is above the law,” he said.
The Magistrate claims to have received death threats from Salasya after delivering a ruling on Monday, in which she ordered the MP to pay Sh500,000 to a businessman.
LSK said threats against judicial officers are not only an attack on the individuals involved, but also pose a direct threat to the foundations of our democratic society.
“The Judiciary plays a pivotal role in upholding justice and any attempts at interference with its independence is a matter of grave concern.”
Salasya has denied claims he threatened the Magistrate. He said he was not present at the time the official said the incident happened.
The court ordered him to pay a businessman Sh500,000 owed to him plus interest accrued since December 2022.
Magistrate Kiama dismissed Salasya’s counterclaim against paying the debt as inadequate, implausible and dissuasive.
Read: MP Salasya in Hiding After Threatening Magistrate in Kakamega
The lawmaker will now pay the Kakamega-based businessman Robert Lutta the Sh500,000 he is said to have borrowed after he won the August 2022 Mumias East parliamentary seat.
He was also ordered to pay the cost of the case that ran for less than two months.
“The respondent (Salasya) first claimed he had personally loaned the petitioner (Mr Lutta) Sh1 million in cash but later changed during the hearing stage and said that he had loaned the money through a proxy.”
“The proxy in question, one Bernard Kemba, could not even identify the claimant (Lutta) even after an identification parade was carried out in court claiming that the camera was not clear even though their lawyer was able to identify those appearing on the screen. I therefore find the counterclaim inconsistent,” read the judgement in part.
Through lawyer Edwin Wafula, Lutta sued the MP on October 23, claiming that he had innocently lent Salasya the money in the hope that he would repay it in two months, but that he had failed to do so.
Lutta told the court the MP had failed, refused, neglected and ignored to refund the amount despite frequent reminders.
Lutta attached bank transfer details, which showed how the money moved from his account to that of the Mumias East MP.