My talk focused on devolution, CJ says of Senegal meeting with Obama

By Dennis Onyango

Kenya: Chief Justice Willy Mutunga has disclosed some of the issues he discussed with President Barack Obama alongside his 11 counterparts from Africa in Dakar, Senegal last week.

Dr Mutunga said he addressed the meeting on devolution matters.

“I explained the role the Judiciary is playing to protect devolution. As an institution, we are committed to ensuring that devolution is not killed,” he said. He stated that they focused on how to hold the Government accountable to the public and ensure the rule of law is protected.

“Status quo is unacceptable. As a Judiciary, we have mitigated this condition by ensuring the political and executive’s powers are decentralised,” he said.

The CJ said they discussed the role of the Judiciary in promoting democracy and social justice in the country and in Africa in general.

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In his remarks during the launch of a Court of Appeal in Kisumu, Mutunga said they had fruitful deliberations.

He said Judiciary demands respect both locally and internationally based on vast steps it has made on ensuring justice prevails.

This was Mutunga’s first public address since his trip to Senegal.

He, however, did not divulge whether he met Obama in his official capacity or as a friend.

Neither did he explain whether they talked about the pending cases at the International Criminal Court.

Mutunga’s meeting with Obama had elicited mixed reactions in Jubilee coalition.

Nominated MP Johnstone Sakaja had expressed concern whether the meeting would affect the cases that involve the country’s top leadership.

Mutunga noted there are more than 6,000 pending cases at the Court of Appeal.