Kenyans demand a chance to elect head of Supreme Court
Mambo Matata
Terming the ongoing interviews for position of Chief Justice as a travesty of justice and a mockery of democracy, Kenyans have demanded they be given the opportunity to choose the head of the Judiciary.
Led by a group calling itself the Mob Justice Commission, they said the appointment of the Supreme Court president should be a people-driven process.
They also complained the current system of picking the top judge denies citizens all the financial and resource windfall that comes with elections, besides the heady excitement of the electioneering period.
But more importantly, an election, they said, would enable Kenyans to elect a CJ with enough charisma and colour, just like their politicians.
“Hatutaki kizungu mingi, tunataka mtu ya watu (We are not interested in an articulate candidate, we want someone with the common touch),” said the commission secretary general Pesona Non Grata.
Non Grata said the Judicial Service Commission was standing in the way of Kenyans enjoying the juicy fruits of independence including crispy Sh50 notes, beer, free lunches, branded water tanks, wheelbarrows, T-Shirts and lesos that they normally enjoy in election campaigns for political positions.
Besides, said Non Grata, the current system of picking the CJ denies the candidates the opportunity to showcase their wealth and prove that they are sufficiently philanthropic to hold public office.
“Imagine if all the 10 candidates for currently wasting time answering pointless questions from the JSC panel were out and about campaigning for the seat? Imagine all the money that would be changing hands and water tanks that would be going around?” asked Non Grata.
He added that campaigns for the Judiciary’s top job would help separate the financial men from the boys.
“Currently every lawyer with mere papers, a long CV and experience can apply and be appointed CJ.
That’s absurd! One must prove — of course through expensive campaigns — that they have what it takes to hold such an important office,” he added.
Mob Justice Commission Treasurer Jenero Solicita argued that amending the Constitution to allow the election of CJ would go a long way in growing the country’s cultural sector, particularly the music industry, which thrives during election campaigns.
“Where would the Kenyan music industry be without hits such as Unbowagable, Tano Tena, Tibim Taialala and others, all which we owe to election campaigns?
Elections for the President of the Supreme Court would serve to enrich our creative sector even more,” said Solicita.
Non Grata also pointed out that without competitive elections for the CJ, Kenyans were missing out the chance to strengthen their ethnic roots and passionately fight (even literally) to ensure the home boy occupies the seat.
He said unless there were more and regular elections, Kenya’s ethnic identities risked disappearing and the entire country would morph into a boring mass of nice people referring to each as ndugu (brother).
“Nothing reminds us that we are different tribes than elections. Just imagine how passionately we would currently be expressing our ethnicity if we were about to elect the CJ! The more elections the merrier,” he said.
The Mob Justice Commission said the “charade” currently taking place at the Supreme Court building was also robbing Kenyans the opportunity to enjoy the five-year cycle ritual of zealously voting and soon after complaining bitterly that they had been duped.
“Kenyans deserve more of their favourite pastime of complaining and issuing threats to vote out someone in the next election.
Allowing them to elect the President of the Supreme Court would give them something more to whine about and someone to threaten to teach a lesson come the next election,” said Solicita. – [email protected]
