Chief Justice responds to Aden Duale's threats to Justice Odunga

Chief Justice David Maraga

Chief Justice David Maraga has sharply condemned National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale for threatening High Court Judge George Odunga.

On Thursday, Duale announced that he would file a motion in Parliament to discuss the conduct of Judge Odunga, following a ruling he was yet to isssue on CORD's application to stop Parliament from debating the proposed amendments to the Election Laws.

In a press release, Mr Maraga firmly stated that Duale's remarks were unwarranted and impinged on the rule of law.

"I strongly condemn the utterances and threats of Hon. Duale which fly in the face of the rule of law and civil conduct of leaders of a constitutional democracy such as Kenya," Maraga said.

The CJ noted that the Judiciary will not be cowed into not executing its duties independently.

"We will not be intimidated and blackmailed, either as individual judges or as an institution. This is what we owe the Kenyan public, as well as to our oaths of office," the CJ said.

He told off Duale stating: "Hon. Duale must stop the public lynching of judges who are merely performing their constitutional duties."

Mr Maraga added that the Majority leader's attacked laid a bad premise for the attack of honourable judges in the country.

"It impinges on hard-won independence of the Judiciary, which is one of the hallmarks of the transformed Judiciary Hon. Duale is celebrating, as he lays the premise for the attack on the Honorable Judge," Maraga pointed out.

Earlier, Mr Duale criticised Judge Odunga noting: "And I want to tell one Judge Odunga, when we open on January 24, I will introduce a motion to discuss you. We will expose you. You cannot be a member of the Bench and play tribal politics."

This he said after Jubilee MPs made amendments to the Election Laws which CORD legislators opposed and stormed out of the Special Sitting.