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Judiciary won’t be sanctuary for the corrupt – CJ Maraga

Chief Justice David Maraga who presided over the launch said it will be integral in accelerating the war on corruption, which is one of the main challenges facing the country/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 15 – The Judiciary has unveiled a new division within the High Court to handle corruption cases.

Chief Justice David Maraga who presided over the launch said it will be integral in accelerating the war on corruption, which is one of the main challenges facing the country.

“Those who engage in corruption should face justice according to the law. I want to state here and now that the Judiciary will not be a shelter or sanctuary for the corrupt. My message to the other actors in the justice chain is this…give us evidence and we shall convict,” Justice Maraga said.

Lawyers Duncan Okatch and Nelson Havi who spoke on KTN News soon after the launch have varied views on the new division and the role it will play in fighting corruption.

“Most people will actually tell you this is a lip service because there is nothing new that is being introduced today. What is there is what has been; we had a High Court to deal with corruption and a Chief Magistrate’s Court specifically dealing with corruption,” Okatch said.

Havi says the move brings will now bring all the anti corruption courts under one roof.

“The Chief Justice has now conglomerated all the arsenal on this fight to one division that is easy to monitor, easy to guide and is easy to ensure delivery of justice,” Havi said.

On October 18, 2016 during the Summit on Governance and Accountability, President Uhuru Kenyatta slammed the agencies fighting corruption for failure to convict those accused of the vice.

President Kenyatta repeatedly said he had done everything that was expected of him to ensure the four independent offices had the capacity to carry perform their duties.

He explained that he had gone to the extent of ensuring that a multi-agency team was in place to coordinate the independent offices and even increased funding.

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Despite all the efforts, President Kenyatta was concerned that Kenyans were still dissatisfied with the justice system.

He urged the Judiciary to get the Anti-Corruption Unit of the High Court working to clear delayed corruption cases “whether day and night but give Kenyans answers.”

The four agencies are the Judiciary, the Directorate of Public Prosecution, the Ethics and Anti- Corruption Commission and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

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