Ruto vows to rid courts of 'deep-rooted graft'

President William Ruto chats with a contractor after he laid the foundation stone for the affordable housing project in Uasin Gishu County on Jan 9, 2024. [PCS]

President William Ruto has promised to rid the Judiciary of "deep-rooted corruption".

Speaking during the launch of affordable housing in Kidiwa, Eldoret town, in Uasin Gishu County, President Ruto maintained that a cleanup of the Judiciary was imminent.

“We are going to root out corruption in the Judiciary. Nobody should tell us that the Judiciary is holy and sacrosanct,” Ruto fired the warning shot 

Ruto said he respected the independence of the Judiciary but warned the courts that their freedom should not extend to sabotage his administration's development agenda.

He said the Judiciary has been used to deny poor Kenyans their rights.

The head of state said his housing agenda would not be stopped by a group of wealthy individuals.

“I want to ask those who are stopping the housing projects in court... are they are going to court to stop the children of Mama Mboga from jobs getting jobs in the housing programme?” posed Ruto.

A visibly angry Ruto went on: “You (the litigants) have jobs and houses, and you go to court to stop those who don't have the privileges you have from accessing jobs and houses, and you want me to keep quiet?”

He said any government institution derailing development programmes was undermining the Constitution.

He said some individuals had asked him to have a budget for bribing some judicial officers to prevent the courts from stopping government initiatives.

“I have been told that the previous administration had a budget for bribing courts. Not a single shilling in my administration will be used to bribe courts,” said the president.

“I have no budget for bribery. Judicial officers are employed to serve the public.

“I will not be silenced. The poor have God and me. Please be humane. Your children are employed,” said Ruto who was accompanied by his deputy Rigathi Gachagua.

He termed litigants stopping government policies and projects as saboteurs.

“We have delayed the transformation of our country because of saboteurs. The saboteurs have had a field day for too long. We would be at the same level with Asian tigers but...,” he said.

He told the litigants that they were ignorant of the challenges faced by ordinary Kenyans in the search for jobs and property ownership.

“You have not tarmacked for years until you lose shoes,” he said.

He said: “I am their (poor Kenyans) lawyer, and I will stand with them whatever it takes.”

He said the housing programme was stopped by Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) politics and that his Kenya Kwanza government will complete it.

The president said the housing programme would create one million jobs directly and indirectly.

Ruto told Eldoret residents that 20,000 houses would be built and 50,000 youth would secure jobs.

Among the projects are 10,000 houses at Railway City and another 1,500 units at Pioneer Estate.

“Hustlers will pay between Sh4,000 and Sh30,000 monthly and eventually own the units. Who said Mama Mboga will not have a house?” he posed.

Gachagua told Ruto to ignore attempts by litigants and the Judiciary to slow down his agenda.

“You were given the mandate to govern by Kenyans, and they are employers. Take orders from Kenyans, not courts,” Gachagua said.

He claimed the cases were sponsored by people who did not believe that Ruto would be elected.

Ruto also launched the new 64 Market in Eldoret, which was shut down last November.