A legal team was formed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) on Thursday to investigate potential constitutional violations by President William Ruto following the latter's ongoing attacks on the judiciary and court rulings.
According to LSK President Eric Theuri, the law society will rally support from all sides, including civil society and religious authorities, to compel the President to uphold the law or risk being impeached for flagrantly violating the constitution.
"The Constitution allows us to approach the High Court when there is a threat to violation of the Constitution to consider whether the current scenario raises enough threats of violation for the Constitution for us to move to court and seek the declaration that the President has violated the Constitution...as you know one of the grounds for impeachment is violation of the Constitution," he stated.
Theuri, who is eyeing the LSK representative to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) post in the upcoming elections, told the President that judicial authority was no longer under the direction of any persons.
Did you read this?
The LSK's statement coincides with President Ruto's ongoing accusations that the legal system thwarts his development agenda and comes ahead of this Friday's planned nationwide lawyer protests.
“Naambia kortini, hakuna vile tunaweza kusimamisha mpango kama hii ya housing...mpango ambayo iko kwa katiba, manifesto na imepitishiwa sheria, nikiongea na nyinyi hapa kwa ile sites tuko nayo, vijana zaidi ya 120,000 wanafanya kazi ikiwemo 500 hapa Ol Kalou halafu mtu anasema tusimamishe mradi sababu ya mambo yake ya kibinafsi hawa vijana 120,000 nitawapeleka wapi,” President Ruto recently said.
Theuri added: "We want to advise the President to dissuade him of this notion that he could be above the law or that whatever he wishes or whatever he wants should guide decisions the Judiciary give, he may get it in Parliament but he will not get it in the Judiciary for as long as we are watching."
Once again, the President asserted without evidence that bribery and corruption had influenced recent court rulings.
LSK has scheduled nonviolent demonstrations for this Friday to support the rule of law. Lawyers are expected to wear purple ribbons, gather at the Supreme Court, march to the President's office, past Parliament buildings, and return to the Supreme Court.
LSK has scheduled nonviolent demonstrations for this Friday to support the rule of law. Lawyers are expected to wear purple ribbons, gather at the Supreme Court, march to the President's office, past Parliament buildings, and return to the Supreme Court.
