Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has said that Kenya Kwanza government will not use criminal justice system and the courts to silence its critics.
Speaking in Kilifi on Thursday, Mr Gachagua said that the current administration is not interested in weaponizing the justice system in Kenya but will support the Independence of the institutions tasked with delivering justice to Kenyans.
"Our government will continue to support independent institutions. I want to give an undertaking to the people of Kenya that President William Ruto and I and the rest of us will not pick a call, summon a judge and or any magistrate and ask them to rule in a matter in one way or another," he said
"We must leave that to the court. I want to confirm that in our administration, we have no intention to weaponize the criminal justice system to settle politics. We shall manage politics ourselves. We want the criminal justice system to exercise judicial independence and deliver justice to the people of Kenya," he added.
Mr Gachagua also dismissed claims that their administration has captured the Judiciary by increasing its budgetary allocation to Sh2billion annually and through appointment of judges who had been rejected by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The DP said that their interest is to ensure an effective and independent Judiciary with financial autonomy to efficiently discharge its mandate.
"We have been accused of capturing the Judiciary. I don't think anybody can capture the judiciary. If it was possible, Dr Ruto wouldn't have been the president of Kenya today," said Mr Gachagua.
He also defended the Judiciary and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) saying they are good institutions that refused to be arm twisted but stayed true to their mandate.
The DP said that the increased budgetary allocation to the Judiciary is meant to support it to employ more judges and magistrates to expedite delivery of justice to Kenyans.
"Our government will not attempt to use criminal justice system to deal with its critics and those who may have different opinion from what we have. That is our undertakings to Kenyans," he said
Immediately after being sworn in, President Ruto reviewed the Judiciary budget by Sh2 billion annually and appointed judicial officers who had been rejected by Mr Kenyatta
"We have every intention to see the judiciary work efficiently. We appointed judges, sworn in others," he said
