Keep hands off the courts, Raila tells Uhuru

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. PHOTO | JACOB OWITI

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has told President Uhuru Kenyatta to keep his hands off the courts.

Mr Odinga said President Kenyatta’s support for the Parliament against the Judiciary was a violation of the rule of law.

“Kenya is going through a willful, premeditated, deliberate and shameless corruption of the system of justice, with the highest ranks of the Jubilee government supporting this assault on law and order,” Mr Odinga said in a statement sent to newsrooms Saturday.

He added: “We are entering a dangerous terrain and I am appealing to the President of Kenya and all the arms of government, to decide whether we are going to be governed by the Rule of Law or the law of the jungle.”

On Friday, President Kenyatta said the three arms of the government should respect each other and work together to develop the country.

“Separation of powers does not mean we are independent from each other. The Executive alone cannot serve Kenyans, the legislature alone cannot serve Kenyans and the Judiciary on its own cannot serve Kenyans. We are interdependent. One arm should not stop another from performing its duties,” the President said.