According to Ruto, even though NPS and the Judiciary exist and play different functions as independent institutions, the two bodies needed to coexist peacefully since no government office was created to serve personal interests.
President William Ruto on Wednesday, September 18 urged the National Police Service (NPS) and the Judiciary to work together for the sake of Kenyans, his remarks viewed as a direct response to the tiff between Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli and Chief Justice Martha Koome.
Speaking during the launch of Reforms of the Police and Kenya Prisons in Nairobi, the Head of State lamented that the clash of heads between the two institutions threatened to disrupt effective service delivery to the citizens of the country.
According to Ruto, even though NPS and the Judiciary exist and play different functions as independent institutions, the two bodies needed to coexist peacefully since no government office was created to serve personal interests.
I am acutely aware that the National Police Service is an independent and so is the Judiciary but ultimately we have one master, the people of Kenya- President Ruto#ViralVideos pic.twitter.com/8fOtTR40fs
— Viral Tea Ke (@ViralTeaKe) September 18, 2024
“I am acutely aware that the National Police Service is an independent institution and so is the Judiciary. But ultimately, we have one master, the people of Kenya and we must make sure that we work together towards serving not the interests of individuals but the collective interest of the people of Kenya,” he urged.
The row between CJ Koome and IG Masengeli reached boiling point on the back of the withdrawal of High Court Judge Lawrence Mugambi’s security detail on Monday, September 16, two days after the judge sentenced acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli to six months in prison. Masengeli was found guilty of contempt of court after failing to appear at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi for the sixth time.
CJ Koome, while addressing the media over the matter, confirmed that “a disturbing action was taken by the National Police Service over the weekend: the security detail assigned to Hon. Justice Mugambi was disarmed and withdrawn.”
“This deliberate and punitive measure represents a direct assault on judicial independence, an affront to the rule of law, and a violation of the principles enshrined in our Constitution,” she slammed.
However, in a rebuttal, the Acting Police IG would later dismiss the allegations insisting that the judge’s security detail had been restored, disclosing in a late-night statement that the security personnel were recalled to attend VIP security courses.
According to Masengeli, despite the decision to recall the officers, a special arrangement was made to ensure that the judge received new security officers.
The Acting Police IG further dismissed allegations that the decision to recall Justice Mugambi’s security was linked to the judicial officer’s recent ruling against the police boss.
There is no telling what direction the row takes next, one that exposed the cracks within the country’s law enforcement and criminal justice systems, two systems that are supposed to work hand in hand in terms of delivering the required justice to Kenyans, hence Ruto’s clarion call.
Besides addressing the tiff between the Judiciary and the Police Service, President Ruto also called on other government agencies to exercise more collaboration and create a balanced relationship.Â
“I want to ask for more collaboration, more working together, that the independence that we respect and enjoy must also look at how together interdependently can work towards achieving the greater interest and the greater good of the people of Kenya.Â
“I really want to ask for a much more harmonious engagement and relationship between our different arms of the government and also our different independent institutions so that we keep focus not on what is good for one sector, but what is good for the greater good of the people of Kenya,” he added.
