Former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Paul Kihara Kariuki has defended himself against allegations of misconduct, over a decision he made on the eve of the October 26th election that is now under investigation by the Judicial Service Commission.
Speaking before the Committee on Appointments of the National assembly, Justice Kihara who was earlier Thursday vetted for the position of the Attorney General said he is up to the task and has always been guided by the constitution in his entire judicial career.
After serving slightly over 15 years as a member of the bench and rising to the presidency at the court of appeal, Justice Paul Kihara on Thursday walked into a different chamber, ready for his next stage in a glittering career.
Should he be approved, Kihara will become Kenya’s seventh Attorney General.
However, he had to go through a thorough vetting exercise, with questions about his past decision arising.
“But there are fears that you are likely to use your intellectual capacity to not work in the best interests of Kenyans,” said Minority Leader in parliament John Mbaddi.
But even with the stellar career in the judiciary, it is the one decision he made in the eve of the repeat presidential election that has come to haunt him.
“The sub-committee of the Judicial Service Commission that is investigating you on the matter of the appointment of the returning officers by IEBC,” queried Majority Leader Aden Duale.
“I don’t think it will be proper for me to discuss this in this house because that will be pre-empting what the Judicial Service Commission has to say,” he replied.
The JSC had formed a special committee to investigate allegations of misconduct and insubordination by Kihara.