Kenyan Chief Justice David Maraga Warns Politicians Against Intimidating Courts

Chief Justice David Maraga has warned politicians against threatening and intimidating the courts in order to get judgments in their favor.

Maraga’s statement comes days after National Super Alliance (NASA) warned the Court of Appeal not to overturn the ruling by the High Court requiring that presidential results be declared by the returning officer at the constituency level are.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is appealing against the High Court’s decision, arguing that the chairman of the commission is the only one with the mandate to declare final presidential results.

Chief Justice Maraga said that the judiciary will not be intimidated into making decisions in favor of bullies.

“Politicians, let the Judiciary do its work. We do not want statements that are meant to intimidate judicial officers. Judges and magistrates will not determine cases on what is said but based on the law and facts,” said the CJ during the swearing-in of Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu as a member of the Judicial Service Commission.

NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga and his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka told their supporters to storm the streets in the event that the Court of Appeal ruled in favor of IEBC.

Raila has said that overturning the High Court decision on the matter amounts to “taking Kenyans back to Egypt, which they had left” in terms of electoral practices.