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Attacks on DPP, constitutional offices dangerous

 LSK and Kituo Cha Sheria want politicians to stop unnecessary threats and criticism on the independent office which has lately come under attack over its handling of corruption cases/FILE

LSK and Kituo Cha Sheria want politicians to stop unnecessary threats and criticism on the independent office which has lately come under attack over its handling of corruption cases/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 10 – The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has come to the defence of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), warning that attacks on the constitutional office has grave consequences.

LSK and Kituo Cha Sheria want politicians to stop unnecessary threats and criticism on the independent office which has lately come under attack over its handling of corruption cases.

A joint statement from the two organisations on Wednesday said the legal fraternity is increasingly concerned at the attacks by politicians who accuse DPP Keriako Tobiko of clearing suspects accused of corruption.

“The Salaries and Remuneration Commission has persistently come under attack, the National Land Commission, the Judicial Service Commission is always under the spotlight and recently EACC was cannibalised,” read the statement.

A section of politicians have alleged a plot by unnamed powerful forces to oust the DPP after his recent decisions on Cabinet Secretaries who were under investigation for involvement in corruption.

“It is unfortunate and indeed sad that politicians would issue threats to a constitutional office and institution on account of a decision or decisions taken by such office,” they lamented.

“It is more worrying that after the DPP makes an independent analysis of facts and evidence and then makes a decision, a third party who has no benefit of looking at the said evidence decides to attack the decision maker.”

They have vowed to speak against the trend saying “as a country, we should never allow a few individuals to prejudice and threaten the existence of independent institutions like the ODPP.”

“The ODPP though a young institution has been under tremendous restructuring especially in equipping it with the right personnel and capacity to prosecute cases.”

Their concerns come after two legislators from the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) claimed there is a plot to remove the Director of Public Prosecutions from office.

The Opposition MPs who made the claims did not however name those behind the move, only saying Tobiko is being targeted over decisions he has made recently in his prosecutorial work.

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Suna East MP Junet Mohammed and Ruaraka’s Tom Kajwang’ claimed they had sufficient information over a looming petition that was being drafted to initiate the removal of Tobiko from office, although they did not disclose the details.

In a strange twist of events, the vocal opposition legislators threw their weight behind Tobiko saying they will expose those behind the petition while also accusing the Jubilee administration of politicizing the war against corruption through weakening the institutions mandated by the constitution to fight corruption.

“The same way they removed the EACC Commissioners, Tobiko will go. If we are going to keep quiet as Kenyans and watch our institutions go down because we happen to be in Jubilee or we support Jubilee, then we better just throw this country to the dogs,” said Kajwang’.

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