President William Ruto has warned that the Kenya Kwanza government will ruthlessly stifle judicial activism and impunity that impedes the government’s development agenda.
Speaking in Nyandarua, Ruto insisted that despite the nation being a democratic state that grants respect to the Judiciary as an arm of government, there must be a national conversation on judicial abuse to settle political scores.
“We are a democracy and we will respect the independence of the Judiciary but what we will not allow is judicial tyranny and impunity,” he said.
He also accused internal and external forces of attempting to sabotage key government policies through legal avenues.
The top court said the Social Health Insurance Fund Act 2023, the Primary Health Care Act 2023, and the Digital Health Act 2023 will only be implemented or enforced once a case questioning their validity is heard.
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The government was prevented from implementing the legislation' intended universal health care by court judgements secured by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU).
Although President Ruto had stated that the deployment will take place in January of this year, the High Court postponed the Ministry of Health's scheduled implementation of the Social Health Insurance Act 2023 until February 2024.
“Few people who have been beneficiaries of the looting in the NHIF have moved to court and linked with corrupt judicial officials so that they steal 50 percent of the funds and that cannot continue. We won’t allow it,” he said.
President Ruto promised to ruthlessly deal with judicial officers colluding with powerful individuals with vested interests who have been ripping off the health insurance kitty for years.”
“We support the independence of Judiciary but corrupt judicial officials who have been working with people who have vested interest benefit from NHIF funds to perpetuate judicialy tyranny.We will deal with them and fight with them,they won’t go far,” he warned.
