Kenya’s first woman chief justice has admitted that corruption is a menace in Kenya, both inside and outside the judiciary. In a BBC interview to mark 100 days since she took office, the chief justice said that trust in the judiciary had over time been been affected. She said she was now focusing on presenting to Kenyans a judiciary that they could have confidence in and one that was relevant to them. The chief justice said it concerned her that corruption cases, involving millions of dollars of taxpayers money, were taking years to resolve. She said the judiciary was preparing for the presidential elections next year, and the courts were willing to mediate in disputes that that may arise. The chief justice added that it was the responsibility of the judiciary and executive to remedy the relationship between them - which has soured in recent years. The executive and the president have been accused of constitutional violations, including disregarding court orders and failing to approve the appointment of new judges - seen as an attempt to diminish the status of the judiciary.
