Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu in a past event. Mavoko MP Patrick Makau says the petition seeking her removal from office is politically motivated. (Photo/citizentv.co.ke)
Mavoko MP Patrick Makau now claims that the petition seeking the removal of Deputy Chief Justice (DCJ) Philomena Mwilu and Judge Isaac Lenaola from office is suspicious and politically motivated.
The Wiper MP also claims that the petition has been crafted to allegedly intimidate Supreme Court judges and judicial officers set to handle election petitions across the country.
In an interview with the Standard, Makau alleged the petition against Mwilu and Lenaola is a wider scheme to harass the courts after President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election was nullified.
“We are not buying into that malicious petition and it's time our competitors knew that they have no power to intimidate holders of independent offices like the Judiciary,” he said as quoted by the Standard.
Makau claimed that Jubilee politicians are still living in denial after the nullification of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s election.
“They (Jubilee) expected the court to rule in their favor, little did they know that we had massive evidence to show that the August 8 presidential results that declared Uhuru the winner were allegedly cooked,” he said.
Makau said that they will not sit and watch some people tarnish the names of the Supreme Court judges.
He said that they (opposition) will defend and fight for the independence of the Judiciary.
A petitioner on Monday filed a petition seeking removal of DCJ Mwilu and Lenaola over gross misconduct.
The petitioner alleges that Mwilu and Lenaola had meetings and phone calls with NASA lawyers before and during the hearing of the presidential petition.
On Tuesday, Chief justice David Maraga warned politicians against attacking the judicial officers.
He said that if anything happens to the judicial officers those attacking them will be held liable.
The CJ warned political class to keep off the judiciary, saying that if they no longer trust the institution they should call for a referendum to scrap it off.
Maraga said that they are ready to pay the price of defending rule of law.