The National Police Service has dismissed claims that security officers assigned to Chief Justice Martha Koome have been withdrawn.
According to NPS through Police Spokesperson Resila Onyango, the officers had been recalled for training and not withdrawn.
Further making it clear that Koome’s security officers were recalled to attend promotional courses, and those who were recalled had already been replaced.
“Contrary to some media reports suggesting that the National Police Service has withdrawn the security detail of some judicial officials, the police service wishes to clarify that the officers have not been withdrawn rather the officers have been recalled,” read Onyango’s statement.
NPS denies claims that CJ Koome’s security has been withdrawn. Photo: Courtesy.
The clarification came a few hours after Koome’s statement, in which she accused the executive arm of the government of reportedly withdrawing her security.
In a letter to Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen and the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, the CJ termed the move as an act that undermines judicial independence.
She also noted the decision is not only an insult to the Judiciary’s independence but also poses a threat to the safety of judicial officers across the country.
According to her, the withdrawal of her security weakened public trust in state institutions and set a perilous precedent, suggesting that key constitutional offices can be undermined through external pressure.
“By exposing the office to vulnerabilities through the withdrawal of security, the ability of the Judiciary to perform its constitutional mandate is gravely compromised.I therefore call upon the National Police Service and all relevant state actors to immediately and unconditionally restore the security detail of the Chief Justice. This step is not merely administrative but essential to reaffirming the Judiciary’s independence.”
