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The battle for the over 1.5 million votes in Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties in the 2022 general elections influenced the nomination of Court of Appeal judge Justice Martha Koome as the Chief Justice. Weekly Citizen has information, the strategists behind the move were clear with the fact, no leading presidential candidates in Uhuru Kenyatta succession race was to oppose Justice Koome nomination as one would definitely lose support in vote rich region. The Justice Koome CJ factor was a political rope to hang themselves. Keen observers will have noticed, ODM leader Raila Odinga, William Ruto Jubilee wing, ANC’s Musalia Mudavadi and Kalonzo Musyoka of Wiper aware of the political ramifications, never raised an issue
with Justice Koome nomination.
Apart from the Meru vote bloc, we had the substantial national women vote which would feel bitter if one opposed Justice Koome bid. After effectively controlling the interviewing panel in its favour, politics was next according to our reliable source. The removal of Deputy CJ Philomena Mwilu in favour of Olive Mugenda to chair the panel was strategic as Weekly Citizen had earlier reported. Key Ruto allies were pushing for a face from Kikuyu-land to consolidate the region vote bloc that seems to favour the second in command. Sources told Weekly Citizen, for now, eyes are set on parliament on the manner in which Justice Koome nomination will be approved. If MPs allied to a presidential aspirant tries to block her, it will be used against the aspirant’s presidential bid 2022.
Martha Koome
It will also influence parliament to speedily approve her nomination with no resistance since all the big political players – Uhuru Kenyatta, Ruto and Raila – have backed her nomination, with each hoping the voters in Meru will side with him in 2022 polls. Meru, which has nine constituencies – North Imenti, South Imenti, Central Imenti, Buuri, Tigania East, Tigania West, Igembe Central, Igembe North and Igembe South and Tharaka Nithi which has three constituencies – Maara, Chuka/Igambang’ombe and Tharaka, are considered swing votes which will influence who wins the presidential race in the 2022 polls. If the Building Bridges Initiative is approved by the voters in the referendum, Meru will have an additional two parliamentary seats, bringing the total to 11.
Insiders familiar with the script revealed that Uhuru, who was voted by the voters almost to a man in the past two elections in the two counties, is keen to ensure his preferred successor bags all the Meru votes in the 2022 polls and that is why he dictated to the Judicial Service Commission to nominate Justice Koome, who hails from the region, to become the next Chief Justice as a payback. Uhuru while selling his preferred successor in the region will argue, his regime gave the region Kenya’s first women CJ something that will go in history books. Justice Koome was born in Kithiu village in Miragamieru in Meru county and later studied at the University of Nairobi. Her nomination was announced by the JSC from a pool of 10 candidates who sought the position. They were Moni Wekesa, Patricia Mbote, Alice Yano, Nduma Nderi, Njagi Marete, Said Chitembwe, Philip Murgor, Fred Ngatia and William Ouko.
Olive Mugenda
In the JSC interviews, sources revealed, Justice Koome had emerged a distant fourth but the panel chaired by Mugenda was under instructions to declare her the top candidate. Justice Koome, sources added, had even trailed Mbote, a law scholar, but her nomination had to be bulldozed since she was a state project. In the interview, Justice Koome had also trailed her boss at the Court of Appeal, Justice Ouko who doubles as the president of the Court of Appeal. Justice Ouko has been elevated to Supreme Court judge as your favourite Weekly Citizen predicted Justice Koome nomination and that of Justice Ouko as interviews were being done. Curiously, of the 10 candidates, it was only Justice Ouko who had complied with all tax compliance and wealth declaration requirements that were placed in the JSC’s advertisement for the Chief Justice and Supreme Court judge vacancies. Ouko being named CJ could also have been used against Raila as he runs 2022 as it will have been interpreted the handshake deal was to favour Kikuyus and Luos.
Further, intelligence reports indicated if Ouko was CJ and with word, he is a distant relative of Raila, if 2022 presidential results were to land at Supreme Court involving Raila, already Justice Ouko issue would crop up. The idea was to have a woman from Meru, a region with no serious face in Uhuru succession game. Even Justice Koome had submitted two out of the required three wealth declaration forms. Public officers had been asked to submit their last three wealth declaration forms. Justice Koome also failed to submit her spouse’s wealth declaration form, a move that would have seen her knocked out of the race. Justice Koome’s nomination as CJ came months after the president carried out a purge in the senate where Tharaka Nithi senator Kithure Kindiki lost the deputy speaker’s position to her Uasin Gishu counterpart Margaret Kamar. Kindiki’s demotion for associating with Ruto did not go down with Merus as they felt they were being alienated from a government they voted almost to a man in the 2013, 2017 elections and repeat presidential election.
Kithure Kindiki
To soothe the community and also dissuade them from supporting the deputy president, Uhuru schemed for the elevation of Justice Koome to become one of the most powerful figures in the country after the president and speakers of the national assembly and senate. The Chief Justice of Kenya is the head of the judiciary and president of the Supreme Court of Kenya. He or she is assisted by the Deputy Chief Justice who is also the deputy president of the Supreme Court. Sources revealed that the fear of losing the Meru votes in the 2022 elections compelled the deputy president to back Justice Koome’s nomination though she was not his favourite. When Justice Koome was nominated by the JSC for the Chief Justice position, she instantly received a phone call from the deputy president congratulating her for emerging top in the interview.
Ruto went ahead to tell Justice Koome that her nomination showed Kenyans’ faith in women leadership and would be an inspiration to young girls across the country. The sources added that Raila also backed Justice Koome’s nomination for fear of anatagonising the Meru votes if he fronted another candidate. His allies were rooting for Justice Ouko to replace Justice David Maraga, the latter being from Nyamira county in Nyanza region. Raila’s allies wanted Justice Ouko nominated in respect to regional balance and also the fact that he was the most experienced among the applicants. Justice Ouko’s long experience in judicial administration and as appellate judge was among the factors his backers wanted him at the top. But Raila decided to back Justice Koome with an eye on the Meru vote in 2022 polls. The ODM leader is keen to win a region that in the past two general elections has given him little support. Raila, who is expecting to be endorsed by Uhuru for presidency in 2022, backed Justice Koome since she will represent Mount Kenya East region in his government in power hierarchy.
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