Retired Chief Justice Willy Mutunga. [PHOTO/nation.co.ke]
Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga has hit out hard at the Kenyan political elite for castigating the Judiciary.
In an article he wrote with The Star, Mutunga said that the political class in Kenya has been condemning or praising the Judiciary depending on whom the ruling favours, against the hope of pegging their criticism on how justice is delivered.
Mutunga accused the losing political groups of blaming the Supreme Court in both the 2013 and 2017 elections instead of working together to build the nation.
"We have had two presidential elections in 2013 and 2017 with petitions filed challenging the victors in the two respective elections. The elite factions have used Mahakama ya Juu (the Supreme Court) as their political punching bag. Justice, according to factions, is only done when the apex court decides in their favour," Mutunga said.
"Since someone has to lose, the losing party does not spare the court and in turn, aggravates the already shaky public confidence for the apex court," he added.
He said that the attacks launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Jubilee Party are a "betrayal by the executive arm of the state that ought to promote and protect their decisional independence and the independence of the judiciary as a whole."
"Competition for political power has become an industry for the elite. Within the national strategic plans and visions lurk personal plans and visions of the elite on how profits will be made, resources raided, wasted, pillaged and grabbed, so billions are generated so they can buy the next election," he declares.