Chief Justice nominee David Maraga on Thursday, October 13 told the National Assembly that although he is so religious he is not a fanatic.
Appearing before the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee during his vetting, Maraga said he will not discriminate against people on basis of their religion.
“I am a Christian living in Kenya and working in the Judiciary, serving the people of Kenya. I am not a fanatic, I know there are some people who are not Christians. I am not going to trample upon their rights because they are not Christians. That is even not what my religion teaches. You have to have respect for other people’s rights,” he indicated.
During his interview for the post of Chief Justice, Maraga had said he is a faithful Seventh-day Adventist who will not work on Sabbath if appointed.
“It would be very difficult for me to sit on a Saturday to hear a case,” Maraga had said in reply to a commission member’s query.
“I would rather talk with my colleagues in the court to accommodate me and exempt me from sitting if the hearing extends to a Saturday," he had added.
Maraga also explained that his first priority when he commences his term, will be to eliminate backlog of cases within the Judiciary and streamline the sector by dispensing cases which are five years old as fast as possible.