Mutunga's dubious legacy that he now cannot erase

John Onyando, the-star.co.ke

Mutunga image from article

Excerpt:

Just as Chief Justice Willy Mutunga seemed to be enjoying a honeymoon with the public ahead of his retirement, a new scandal has erupted in the judiciary that has once again brought his leadership under scrutiny.

Last Sunday’s report by NTV alleging that Supreme Court Justice Philip Tunoi was given $2 million (Sh204 million) to influence the ruling in a gubernatorial election petition has shaken the little confidence that was still left in the judiciary, of which Mutunga himself has sounded alarm in recent weeks. ...

The reality that corruption persists in the judiciary, despite reforms under the new constitution, is well recognised. ...

Once Kenya’s great hope, Mutunga has succumbed to political pressure at every stage. There is no doubt Mutunga is a nice man at heart. He takes extreme ideologically reformist positions in his public diplomacy. But his positions amount to nothing if they can’t influence societal transformation. While Kenyans wanted a CJ who could shake up the system, Mutunga was scared to death by the entrenched interests, and he lacked the organisational dexterity to manage dynamics of power. ...