Chief Justice David Maraga Defends Kenyan Judges Accused of Receiving Bribes from Akasha Family

Chief Justice David Maraga has come to the defense of judges linked to corrupt deals involving Kenyan drug trafficking family, the Akashas.

Maraga says reports linking Kenyan judges to the Akasha family's illegal business are malicious and meant to tarnish their names and that of the Judiciary.

The Chief Justice has asked Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to arrest individuals behind online campaigns “aimed at recklessly besmirching the reputation of officers in the Judiciary”.

“We find the reports unacceptable because they have the potential to demoralise the officers and undermine the administration of justice in the country,” Maraga says in the letter to DCI boss George Kinoti.

Maraga says High Court Justice Chacha Mwita, who is accused of receiving bribes from the Akashas, has never worked in Mombasa or Malindi where their drug smuggling cases were being heard. 

“Even his private practice before he joined the Judiciary never took him to those places. We, therefore, find the link to the Akasha case malicious and obviously intended to intimidate the judge and thus influence his decisions in other cases,” the Chief Justice adds.

He further defends Justice Dora Chepkwony, saying that her role in the Akashas case was very minimal.

“As we have said before, we do not condone corruption but to have our judicial officers recklessly besmirched is unacceptable,” the Chief Justice says.  

The Akasha brothers; Ibrahim and Baktash pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges at a United States court two weeks ago.