By Wahome Thuku
Rebecca Kerubo, the security guard who has accused Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza of assaulting her got a rude shock after her lawyers were locked out of a tribunal investigating the matter.
One of her lawyers, George Maosa, was asked to leave the tribunal chamber at the Kenyatta International Conference Center (KICC) during the introductory session on Monday morning.
The second lawyer, Irungu Kang’ata, was informed on Tuesday morning that Ms Kerubo would not be represented at the tribunal since she is a witness.
Irungu told The Standard that the tribunal headed by Tanzania’s former chief justice Augustine Ramadhan had decided that Kerubo’s rights would be taken care of by the lead counsel from the Director of Public Prosecution’s office.
The move heightened secrecy surrounding the proceedings, which are being held behind closed doors at Shimba Hills hall.
“The DCJ is represented by three lawyers and Kerubo has an equal right to be represented by a lawyer of her choice,” Kang’ata lamented.
Baraza was suspended in January following accusations that she had assaulted Kerubo, a security guard at the Village Market shopping Mall in Gigiri.
Baraza allegedly assaulted Kerubo for not recognising her as the DCJ and later threatened to shoot her. But she has denied the allegations, saying she did not carry any firearm.
After preliminary inquiries the Judicial Service Commission asked President Kibaki to set up a tribunal to investigate the allegations.
The tribunal comprises of Ramadhan, former University of Nairobi don Prof Judith Behemuka, retired High Court judge Philip Ransley, Surinder Kapila, Beuttah Siganga, Grace Madoka and Prof Mugambi Kanyua.
Soon after the suspension, Baraza moved to the High Court and managed to have the investigation suspended on the ground that her rights would be violated.
