The move by President William Ruto to swear in six judges rejected by his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta ushers in a smooth working relationship between the Executive and the Judiciary, lawyers say.
The six comprised four judges of the Court of Appeal and two judges of the Land and Environment Court, who were left out by Kenyatta over integrity issues when he swore in 34 others in June last year.
President Ruto had vowed to swear in the judges immediately if elected and made good the promise.
The new President has also promised to enhance the Judiciary budget by Sh3 billion every year for the next five years.
The move is a shift from previous regimes, which starved the Judiciary of funds and made it subservient to the Executive. Retired Chief Justice David Maraga, who was at State House Nairobi to witness the swearing-in of the six judges, had a rough time with the executive over budget cuts, disobedience of court orders and at some point mistreatment during State functions.
Lawyer Benson Milimo said Dr Ruto’s administration has started on a positive note. “If it goes on this way, we will be seeing heads consulting as opposed to addressing one another through press conferences,” he said.
Mr Bernhard Ng’etich, a former LSK council member said Dr Ruto has undone bad things visited upon the Judiciary by President Kenyatta’s administration.
“It was illegal to refuse to swear in the six judges. What the new president has done is commendable,” he said.
Siaya governor James Orengo tweeted that there was no justification at all to frustrate the appointment of the judges, some of the best judicial brains as he congratulated the six judges “An independent judiciary is paramount,” he said.
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