Chief Justice David Maraga has decried the treatment of the Judiciary, including the budget cuts which have adversely affected its operations. Speaking to the press at the Supreme Court, CJ Maraga revealed the Judiciary is coming under increased pressure due to the budget cuts and lamented how his office has been discredited by other arms of government. The Chief Justice said of the budget allocated to the Judiciary this year, more than half goes to salaries, and what remains is for development and recurrent expenditure, which was reduced by Kshs 2 billion. He said under ICT, the Judiciary was allocated Kshs 400 millon, but the budget cut has slashed all of it, making it impossible for them to even pay for Wi-Fi internet connection. He said at this rate, there’ll be no money for fuel for the judges’ vehicles. “The operations of the mobile courts have grinded to a halt,” he noted, adding that the mobile courts were very beneficial, especially to Kenyans who live in inaccessible areas.
The Judiciary’s long standing problem over budgetary allocations has taken turns in the past year, with leaders instead putting pressure on the arm of government to deliver justice and stop interfering with the war on corruption. However, CJ Maraga has insisted that they don’t need the same allocation with some Ministries of high ranking, specifically the Education and Health Ministries, “We just need to be given a reasonable amount of money so that we are able to serve our people,” he said. He said the Judiciary’s allocation has been reducing as years go by, and that if it’s given a constant allocation, of for example Kshs 5 to Kshs 6 billion per year, in ten years courts will be set up in most parts of the country.
He also revealed that the process of reducing cases backlog has come to a halt and court annexed mediation which has helped Kenya to improve on its World Bank ease of doing business index has come to a standstill. Plans that had been finalized to automate the anti-corruption court to speed up the hearing of corruption cases in Milimani have also been affected. The treatment of the Chief justice office has also become a contentious issue, with the CJ revealing that he is treated contemptuously compared to other government officials. “The CJ is not accorded the respect due to his office in quite a number of state functions…CSs and PSs are cleared to enter State house, the CJ is told to wait. The last Mashujaa Day the CJ was allowed to walk to the dias through a sidewalk and the MC didn’t acknowledge his arrival but he did it to other people,” he said, adding he’ll choose which state functions to attend unless he is treated with dignity.
He further divulged that he receives letters form Ministries written by clerks, and he shreds most of the letters. Some CSs and PSs are also discussing that the CJ will or should be removed for office by the end of this year according to Maraga, “Really? It seems it’s true this country has its ‘owners’…let me tell you my friends, the CJ is here exercising the mandate given by the Kenyan people. I’m not serving at the pleasure of any CS or PS,” he affirmed.