By Dr Willy Mutunga
A lie will go halfway round the world before the truth wears its shoes – Mark Twain
Truth is tough, so said Oliver Wendell Holmes. “It will not break like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may kick it about all day, like a football, and it will be round and full at evening.”
While the foregoing is true, I am concerned that barefaced falsehoods are becoming commonplace in public discourse, an example being Tuesday’s opinion comment in this newspaper under Mr Timothy Bosire’s name.
Seeking release
There is a misplaced belief that if the unfortunate, inaccurate and reckless claims by the Law Society of Kenya about my alleged interference in the vetting of judges and magistrates are repeated, they will somehow transform into truth.
Never have I, nor will I, communicate to the authorities dealing with the vetting of judicial officers seeking to influence the outcome of their processes.
It is a brazen fabrication to allege that I have intervened in the vetting process – either in my personal or official capacity.
The Vetting Board has not complained to me or to the public that I am interfering with their work with respect to any matter. Surely the Board can speak for itself.
For the record, I wish to restate the facts at the heart of the current controversy.
Justice Mohammed Ibrahim wrote to me on May 2, seeking release from the Bench to enable him to complete his rulings and judgments. On May 4,I replied, granting his request.
On September 4, Justice Ibrahim wrote to me to report that he had completed his judgments and rulings within the period he had sought leave.
