Judge summons PS Kibicho
Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The PS, through Senior State Counsel Prisca Wambui, had promised to honour a court order.
- When the case came up for hearing yesterday, neither Dr Kibicho nor his representatives showed up in court.
- Lawyer Kennedy Bosire for Mr Makori asked the court to issue a warrant of arrest against the PS.
A judge has summoned Interior Principal Secretary Dr Karanja Kibicho to personally appear before the High Court to answer contempt of court charges instituted against him by US-based Kenyan journalist Peter Makori.
Justice Anthony Ndung'u ordered Dr Kibicho to present himself in Kisii after the PS failed to appear before the court to confirm his earlier promise to comply with a High Court order and pay Sh12.4 million as compensation against torture to Mr Makori.
The PS, through Senior State Counsel Prisca Wambui, promised the High Court in early October, 2019 that the government would honour a court order to settle the pending compensation claims before December 2019.
On September 26, 2019, the State Counsel informed the court that Dr Kibicho had allegedly authorised the payments and successfully applied for adjournment of the contempt hearing until early December 2019 when she would present proof of payments in court.
However, when the case came up for hearing yesterday, neither Dr Kibicho nor his representatives showed up in court.
Lawyer Kennedy Bosire for Mr Makori asked the court to issue a warrant of arrest against the PS for misleading the court that the compensation was to be paid by early December, 2019.
Journalist Peter Makori. He says State officials have frustrated his bid to get Sh12 million the High Court ordered as payment for torture, unlawful detention and malicious prosecution. PHOTO | COURTESY
Justice Ndung’u issued summons to be served to the PS and set the hearing for January 29, 2020.
Mr Makori was awarded the sum last year as compensation for torture, unlawful detention and malicious prosecution nearly two decades ago.
The journalist has previously cited frustration by what he terms “deliberate obstacles” by officials at Harambee House.
Earlier this year, he instructed his lawyers to institute contempt of court charges against Attorney General Paul Kariuki, PS Karanja Kibicho and other top government officials he claims are responsible for derailing his compensation payments.
He said doctors diagnosed him with permanent injuries after police tortured him 16 years ago and had spent millions of shillings on medication in the US.
