NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 18 – President William Ruto has emphasized the importance of upholding the rule of law and respecting the independence of key institutions in the country.
Speaking during the official launch of the Strategic Framework for the Implementation of Reforms in the National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service, and National Youth Service, Ruto reiterated that the rule of law is the cornerstone of Kenya’s democracy.
Ruto stressed that effective leadership must recognize the independence of institutions and their critical role in delivering services to citizens.
“We must by all means our democracy and the rule of law. We must ensure that we also defend our independent institutions, but we must also ensure that we work together towards the common good of the people of Kenya,” Ruto said.
Ruto’s remarks come in the wake of tensions between the Judiciary and the National Police Service following the withdrawal of the security detail assigned to Justice Lawrence Mugambi.
The judiciary and the NPS have been at odds since Justice Mugambi sentenced Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli to six months in prison for contempt of court.
While acknowledging the independence of both the Judiciary and the NPS, Ruto called for greater cooperation between the two institutions.
He urged all arms of government to work in harmony, focusing on the collective interests of the Kenyan people.
The judiciary and NPS have been locked in a tiff after Justice Mugambi handed the Acting inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli six months in prison for contempt
“I am acutely aware the National Police service is an independent institution and so is the judiciary but ultimately we have one master-the people of Kenya,” Ruto said.
“I want to ask for more collaboration, more working together, that the Independence that we respect and enjoy must also look at how together interdependently can work towards achieving the greater interest and the greater good of the people of Kenya.”
Ruto further pleaded with different institutions in the country to embrace the intergovernmental and interagency collaboration for the good of Kenyans without “necessarily disagreements that can jeopardize the greater good of the people of Kenya.”
