Renowned Pan-Africanist Prof. PLO Lumumba has written to Chief Justice Martha Koome expressing concerns over allegations of corruption within Kenya’s judiciary.
In a letter seen by Kahawa Tungu dated December 5, 2024, Prof. Lumumba highlighted claims of judicial officers receiving bribes to deliver favorable rulings, a situation he described as placing the judiciary at a critical crossroads.
Prof. Lumumba referenced remarks made by Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi, who recently alleged on social media that a judge in Mombasa was involved in collecting bribes through an appointed agent to influence court outcomes.
In a post on November 30, 2024, Abdullahi wrote, “A judge in Mombasa is collecting money from businessmen left, right, and center. He appointed an agent to collect monies and is trading with court proceedings. If the CJ @CJMarthaKoome, @jskenya are interested… let me know!”
In his letter, Prof. Lumumba called on the judiciary to act urgently to address these claims, emphasizing the damaging impact such allegations have on Kenya’s reputation.
“Your ladyship, to dramatize the reputational reality, whenever I travel outside Kenya, a number of people make reference to Kenya’s corrupt judiciary,” he stated.
Prof. Lumumba also requested a meeting with the Chief Justice, accompanied by three advocates, to discuss measures to restore the judiciary’s integrity.
CJ Koome, Kenya’s first female CJ, has faced increasing scrutiny over alleged bribery and corruption within the judiciary.
She has consistently denied any involvement in corruption, recently telling the BBC that in her 22-year judicial career, “nobody has ever approached me with a bribe. I would have them arrested.”
However, allegations persist, with some Kenyans coining the term “jurispesa” – combining the legal term jurisprudence with pesa (Swahili for money) – to imply corruption in the judiciary. CJ Koome has dismissed these claims as baseless attacks meant to undermine her credibility. “These allegations are supposed to lower my credibility and distract me. I know who I am and what I have done,” she told the BBC Africa Daily podcast.
Criticism of Justice Koome’s leadership has also been linked to gender bias. In 2021, she described the widespread corruption in Kenya as a “national embarrassment,” including within the judiciary. She added that much of the criticism she faces stems from misogyny and chauvinism.
Despite these challenges, CJ Koome remains committed to reforms, particularly in addressing violence against women. She has prioritized opening specialized courts to handle sexual and gender-based violence cases, with two already operational in Kisumu and Siaya counties.
She expressed frustration over the slow progress in prosecuting gender-based violence cases, often due to a lack of witnesses. “Cases of gender-based violence must be given priority so that victims do not have to keep coming to court year in and year out,” she said.
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