KISUMU, Keny, Feb 3 — Rarieda Member of Parliament Otiende Amollo has proposed a third round of cleaning the Judiciary in the wake of corruption allegations.
Otiende stated that the previous efforts, including the 2003 radical surgery of the judiciary and the Judges and Magistrates Vetting Board, have failed to “slay the dragon” of corruption.
“I think we now need a third round,” said Otiende.
He emphasized that the third attempt should go deeper, beyond what is contained in the Constitution, to address the problem once and for all.
“The provisions of the Constitution, as they currently exist, have not resolved the issue. The problem persists, and therefore, we need to design something new,” he added.
Ringera ‘radical surgery’
The 2003 Aaron Ringera-led ‘radical surgery’ implicated twenty-three out of forty-five Court of Appeal and High Court judges, as well as eighty-two out of 254 magistrates, in corruption.
Subsequently, the Judges and Magistrates Vetting Board was established to vet the suitability of all judges and magistrates who were in office prior to the promulgation of the new Constitution.
Otiende argued that these processes had little impact, and with corruption allegations still rampant in the judiciary, there is a need for another comprehensive effort.
Speaking on Sunday in Kisumu during the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) West Kenya Branch prayer day, the lawmaker also criticized his colleagues in the legal profession for enabling corruption within the judiciary.
“There will be no corruption in the judiciary unless it is facilitated by a practitioner,” he said.
Otiende urged lawyers to take responsibility and clean up their own profession before pointing fingers at the judiciary.
He described some lawyers as ‘merchants of law,’ who, instead of arguing cases in court, negotiate for favorable outcomes through bribery.
LSK President Faith Odhiambo called on lawyers to maintain integrity and avoid engaging in corrupt practices to influence judgments in their favor.
Odhiambo emphasized that lawyers must speak truth to power, as they are the last line of defense between impunity and the lives of ordinary Kenyans.
“Let us work together for the betterment of this country because one day you may aspire to become judges and magistrates in this nation,” she said.
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