The Law Society of Kenya has organized peaceful protests next week to express displeasure over remarks directed to the Judiciary by the president.
LSK President Eric Theuri says the protests are aimed at defending and protecting the independence of the judiciary and all other institutions, he said, have been threatened for performance of duty.
“We call upon all members to don Purple ribbons throughout the coming week and join in the peaceful protests countrywide, that will be organized by the Society in support of the rule of law and solidarity with the Judiciary. We must not allow our Constitution to suffer dereliction,” he said in a statement Wednesday.
The society insists that the judiciary, as the guardian of the constitution, has historically stood as a check against executive overreach and ought to be given space to continue executing this mandate on behalf of the people of Kenya, even as it maintained that the Executive should not be seen to want to interfere with operations of the Judiciary.
“Gone are the days when the judiciary played second fiddle or bowed subserviently to the executive arm of the government, presided over by the head of state,” charged Theuri
“It is imperative to remind our esteemed president that the judiciary, through its impartial interventions, has both nullified a prior presidential election and, at another juncture, upheld his very own election. This underscores the sacrosanct role of a robust and independent judiciary in fostering national growth, stability, and economic prosperity,” he adds
the LSK boss says the President, as the foremost custodian of the rule of law, should refrain from appearing to undermine the judiciary and instead, utilize legal avenues at his disposal to challenge decisions that he finds aggrieving.
“Public incitement against the judiciary is not only detrimental to our constitutional fabric but also compromises the sanctity of our legal system,” he said