Women Standing With The Judiciary

Women of Kenya representatives various rights organizations denounce any attempts to undermine the Judiciary and in particular the office of the Chief Justice. At a time when the country is facing unprecedented unlawlessness with forced disappearances, abductions, femicide and murder of citizens, the attacks against the Judiciary are a danger to the rule of the law. Discrediting the Judiciary would lead to anarchy and as women we can no longer remain silent. 

Under the leadership of Hon. Chief Justice Martha Koome, Kenya's Judiciary has been progressive and responsive to the needs of Kenyans. Justice has become accessible to the marginalized people such as women, children and people living with disabilities. This has happened through the establishment of Gender Justice Courts, expansion of Small Claims Court, roll out of e-filing, Mahakama Popote Initiative and a reduction in court back logs. 

We are concerned as women that the persons leading the attacks on the Chief Justice have in the past called her useless, clueless and other unprintable words. We are disturbed as women on the trend to destroy almost every woman who rises to any high level thereby damaging the reputation of women leaders. We demand an immediate withdrawal of the petition to hound the Chief Justice out of office. We urge women political leaders (MP's, Senators, Governors, MCA's) to raise their voice. We remind women of the warning in the Bible to Esther from Mordecai when he said "You live in the King's Palace. But do not think that just because you are there you will be the only one who will escape." 

Today the attack is on Martha Koome, tomorrow it will be you or someone else. Civil group societies and other stakeholders should speak up.