Chief Justice David Maraga. [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
The Jubilee Party has responded to a petition filed by one of its members seeking to remove Chief Justice David Maraga from office.
Thursday, Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu filed a petition with the Judicial Service Commission, to remove the CJ for nullifying the August 8 presidential election results.
In his petition, Ngunjiri claims that Maraga influenced the other Supreme Court judges to vote in favour of the NASA petition that challenged Uhuru Kenyatta’s victory.
The Jubilee MP argues that Maraga exercised a judicial coup by annulling the polls.
He further claims that Judge Mohammed Ibrahim was forcefully stopped from participating in the ruling contrary to claims that he had been unwell some days to the actual Supreme Court verdict.
In a press conference on Friday, Jubilee leaders – National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen – said the MP was acting as a private citizen and the petition is not by Jubilee.
“It’s not a Jubilee affair. We can authoritatively say it is not a petition that emanated from the party leadership or parliamentary group meetings,” said Duale.
Senator Murkomen said, "Jubilee leadership did not sit down to plot a petition against Maraga."
Murkomen at the same time claimed opposition Nasa was working with the judiciary.
"We find it suspect that when an MP exercises his constitutional right it is seen as if Uhuru Kenyatta sent him," said Murkomen.