Kalonzo vows to lead street protests if CJ Koome is ousted
Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has condemned what he terms as efforts to eject Chief Justice Martha Koome from office.
Addressing a church congregation at Muthara, Tigania East in Meru County on Sunday, February 11, the former vice president said a petition seeking the ouster of the CJ was an outright attack on the Judiciary.
He threatened to lead street protests if the proposal to kick out Koome was realised.
“We will protest from Maua, Seikuru, Meru and all the way. We will not allow that, you cannot do that. That is the last bastion of our freedom,” Kalonzo stated.
At the same time, Kalonzo claimed that the Kenya Kwanza administration had managed to compromise Parliament, but he urged members of the opposition not to relent in the fight against proposals that go against the will of the general public.
The petition seeking the removal of CJ Koome from office was lodged before the Judicial Service Commission on February 1.
In the petition, Micheal Kojo Otieno claims that CJ Koome failed to follow the law in the recent appointment of 22 members to the Tax Appeal Tribunal.
Otieno, a resident of Homabay County, accuses Koome of failing to comply with the explicit provision that required her to appoint between 15 and 20 members.
The petitioner also faulted Koome for burdening Kenyan taxpayers with her decision to appoint two more members to the tribunal, who were not budgeted for.
“The actions of the Chief Justice in the appointment of the tax appeal tribunal are indeed illegal, null and void and hence unfit to hold public office,” the petition reads in part.