Nairobi, Kenya, Nov 25- The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has summoned former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko to testify as a witness on videos he posted implicating the embattled High Court Judge Juma Chitembwe in corruption.
Sonko is first required to appear in person at the commission to write a statement ahead of December 14 when he will testify.
“This is, therefore, to notify you, pursuant to the provisions of Article 252 (3)(b) of the Constitution and Section 42 Part VIII of the Judicial Service Act No. 1 of 2011, that the JSC will require your personal attendance to testify as a witness in the aforesaid matter which will proceed for the oral hearing on Tuesday 14th December 2021 at 9.00 am at the JSC Offices at Re-Insurance Plaza Building Podium Floor, Taifa Road,” JSC’s Secretary Anne Amadi said in a letter to Sonko dated November 25.
Sonko has been unleashing videos implicating the judge to corruption.
Several petitions have been filed with JSC, including by Sonko’s aide Francis Wambua who wants the judge’s conduct investigated. In his petition, he said the judge should be investigated claiming he received bribes to influence the outcome of cases touching on Sonko.
“That the learned Judge used his office as if it was an enterprise and the receipt of bribes by him enabled him to package judgments specifically for the bribers and this is against the spirit of the Constitution and the law,” Wambua claims in the petition. He alleged that the bribes were channeled through the judges’ brother Amana Saidi Jirani.
The petition, which add onto others filed earlier by other petitioners come 2 days after the JSC gave Chitembwe two weeks to respond to petitions already filed for his removal.
Chief Justice Martha Koome, who chairs the commission, wrote to the judge on Monday, asking him to file his responses within 14 days.
“Upon deliberations, the JSC has resolved that the petitions be served upon the honourable judge for his response within 14 days of service,” CJ Koome said in the letter to Justice Chitembwe.
Thereafter, she said, the petition and the judges’ response will be considered by a panel that has been set up by the commission.
Chitembwe last week dismissed the allegations during a TV interview, saying he was unfairly targetted.
