Kenya’s First Female Chief Justice Defends Integrity Amid Corruption Claims

Martha Koome, Kenya's first female chief justice, has responded to allegations of corruption and incompetence in the judiciary, emphasizing her integrity and dedication to gender violence issues while calling out the misogyny behind some attacks against her.

 

Kenya's Chief Justice Martha Koome has vehemently defended her integrity and that of the judiciary amid a swirl of allegations regarding corruption and inefficiency. Speaking to the BBC, Koome asserted, "In all these 22 years I’ve been a judge and a chief justice, nobody has ever approached me with a bribe. I would have them arrested." Koome, the nation’s first female chief justice, faces scrutiny for purportedly neglecting to adequately explore claims of bribery within the judiciary, a situation popularly referred to as "jurispesa," blending the concepts of jurisprudence and the Swahili word for money, "pesa."

Koome challenges her accusers to present proof of their claims to relevant security bodies or the judicial oversight commission, characterizing the allegations as attempts to undermine her credibility and disrupt her work. "It is supposed to distract me. I know who I am and I know what I have done and what I am going to do," she stated in the BBC’s Africa Daily podcast.

With corruption historically plaguing Kenya’s judiciary, Koome reflected upon her commitment to tackling the issue, further noting that some critiques she faces are rooted in her gender. "It is total misogyny. It is total chauvinism," she declared, illustrating the challenges confronting women in positions of authority.

Koome is also passionate about combatting violence against women, highlighting distressing trends in femicide within Kenya. She lamented that "every other day there is a report of a young woman who has lost her life through violence," and pointed out that many rape cases languish due to a lack of witnesses.

In response to the alarming rates of violence against women, with police reporting nearly 100 women and girls killed in three months, Koome emphasized her commitment to ensuring justice for women. She aims to establish a network of 11 specialized courts handling sexual and gender-based crimes, of which two have already been set up in Kisumu and Siaya counties. "We have a lot of hope in them because cases of gender-based violence must be given priority," she said.