Uhuru Omits “Hard-hitting” Remarks On Written Speech After Maraga “Calm” Address

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday omitted hard-hitting remarks from his speech at the Supreme Court of Kenya, Nairobi.

The comments were apparently targeted at the Judiciary and Chief Justice David Maraga.

Speaking during the annual launch of State of the Judiciary and Administration of Justice report for the year 2018-2019, the president paused severally to say that he had deliberately skipped reading a section of his speech to maintain “peace”.

Unlike in the past events where the President has publicly castigated the Judiciary, Uhuru was forced to adapt to the “friendly mood” set by the CJ, who spoke before him.

In his speech, Maraga, in an unusual calm tone, appealed to the President to support the Judiciary by increasing its budgetary allocation to support its activities countrywide.

Read: Treasury Backtracks on Judiciary Budget Cuts After Maraga Outburst

Last year, the CJ lashed out at the Executive accusing some of the state officers of muzzling the Judiciary by slashing its budget.

Decrying mistreatment, Maraga threatened to skip state functions if he was not accorded respect befitting his position as the President of the Supreme Court.

In his address today, Maraga made similar demands in a “lighter” tone.

He said that his address was misunderstood, further denying claims of scolding the President.

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“He is not only the chief of the executive but the head of state. He is the unifying factor. And I recognise that Your Excellency,” said Maraga.

“When I had a press conference last December, I raised a few issues that some of which have been misunderstood. I saw from social media that the arms of the government are at loggerheads. That’s not right and that is not correct.”

Maraga noted that he didn’t mean to disrespect the President in any way in his remarks.

Read Also: Time To Use Your Teeth, Senator Murkomen Tells CJ Maraga As He Pledges Support

“I will be the last person to stand and try to talk badly…why do I say so,.. mimi si rika yako. You play from a different league,” he said.

He added, “There can be a few disagreements here and there I am one person who respects authority… I will be the last person to stand and appear like nakusomea.”

The President appreciated demands made by the CJ but reiterated that the judiciary should work with the resources available.

On dealing with graft cases, Maraga stated that the Judiciary is committed on expediting cases touching on high profile individuals before the court.

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