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President William Ruto has called on the Judiciary not to allow individuals and groups to use courts to advance a sectarian agenda.

He advised courts to use restraint on national and public-interest matters related to improving the welfare of Kenyans.

The line between public interest and populist politics, he said, can be blurred, adding that this is a complex and dynamic era characterised by agenda pushed through social media and anonymous individuals.

The Judiciary, he said, has a role to play in helping the country curb politics based on personality, ethnicity and populism, and promote politics based on issues and programmes.

This, he added, could be achieved if the popular mandate of the people, through their elected representatives and manifestos endorsed by Kenyans, is given high regard.

“How do you respond to litigants and individuals who challenge a policy and a manifesto position canvassed among the citizens and voted for by the people of Kenya?” he asked.

The President posited that governments are elected on the basis of a manifesto and that this should carry weight in court.

He spoke as the Supreme Court marked 12 years since its creation at the court’s grounds in Nairobi.

The President was with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.

Chief Justice Martha Koome and her deputy and Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu were also present.

Collaboration among the three arms of government, the President said, was key to promoting the national interest and strengthening constitutionalism.