CJ vows to die for constitution citing intimidations

By Caleb Mutua

Chief justice Willy Mutunga has said that he is ready to die for the constitution revealing intimidation from both the government and the Mungiki.

Dr Mutunga said Mungiki Veterans Groups also known as the Kenya Sovereignty Defence threatened him and the judiciary through a “poison-pen letter”.

“The letter warns against an adversarial ruling on the presidential and deputy presidential candidacy of Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto,” said the CJ.

He said the letter warned of dire consequences for him and the judiciary if they barred the Jubilee aspirants from contesting in the March 4 vote.

Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and his running mate William Ruto are facing charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) following the bungled 2007 elections.

The post-election skirmishes that followed left more than 1,300 Kenyans dead and over 600,000 others internally displaced.

In addition, Mr Mutunga accused Head of Public Service Francis Kimemia of intimidating him by making attempt to block him from traveling to Tanzania and that judges were also being intimidated.

He said the intimidation were meant to stop him and his team from implementing the constitution, which he said will not work.

First published in February 2013.