Say No to Indemnity and Maintain the Rule of Law, CJ David Maraga

I stand here today full of gratitude and appreciation as I say goodbye to the judiciary after about 18 years of service to the people of Kenya.

During this time I have served first as a judge of the high Court, judge of the court of appeal and finally as the Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya.

A time has come for me to say goodbye.

I want to start by thanking God Almighty for the opportunity you gave me to serve the people of Kenya and the guidance he provided as I carried out my duties, you will recall my fellow Kenyans that in my interview for the position of Chief Justice given the fact that the supreme Court must hear and determine presidential election petitions within 14 days I was asked the question whether I would sit on Saturday, my Sabbath day I understood the question to require of me to make a choice between getting the job of Chief Justice and living by my faith I determined to leave out my face and I said I would not sit on Saturday.

Thereafter in accordance with his steadfast promises God took over, the rest is history.

He gave me the job and they fought all my battles throughout the term I served as chief justice of this republic.

I don’t know how to express my gratitude to him for considering me what he of his marvellous grace and favours.

A special thanks goes to my dear wife and children behind me here as well as my extended family.
Throughout the time that the time I served my dear wife and children and my family and friends, you bore the plants of the attacks and threats against me.

I sincerely thank you and I’m not taking that for granted. I also want to thank you the people of Kenya for your unwavering confidence in and support for me your solidarity in moments of great adversity and peril and you are steadfast defence in moments of trials and tribulations only strengthened my resolve and enabled me to serve you up to this day.

Thank you too, my dear colleagues, starting with the deputy chief justice, my brothers and sister judges with whom the sense of gratitude also goes to all the all judges and kadhis.

The people of Kenya have constitutionally bestowed upon you to be the guardians of our constitution to uphold the rule of law .

I have heard sometimes politicians say that they are better off because they are elected, I want to tell you that according to our constitutional architecture they have no better power than what you have it is the people of Kenya who gave you the judicial authority to exercise it for their own good.

I want to urge that you don’t let the people of Kenya down I’m sure you live in this country and you have seen the drums or political war being beaten already, my colleagues if you waiver, if you waiver and do the wrong thing and this country descends into chaos God will never forgive.

So my urge is stand firm do the Right thing god and the people of Kenya will defend you god and the people of Kenya who defended me up to now he will defend you as well as long as you do the right thing and I’m sure you will do that.

Having said that I would like I would also like to thank the judicial service commission that is a commissioners the chief registrar and all the commission’s staff I know I pushed you very hard and made you sit very long hours and many times thank you for bearing with me.

A special thank thank you also goes to the legal fraternity through the law society of Kenya and the Justice sector and in particular the national council and administration of justice, your dedication to the rule of law and you are unflinching demand for efficiency and equity in the administration of justice have been a source of motivation and inspiration to me I want to thank you most sincerely .

Let me thank the executive and the legislature for the work we’ve been able to accomplish as equal arms of government in the service of the people of Kenya I had to continue living by the constitutional ethics of robust independence and constructive interdependence which the judiciary has embraced as a key philosophical and operational principle.

Thank you also goes to order element partners without your support many of the judiciary programs would have ground to a halt please continue supporting the judiciary which as you are aware is the beacon of hope for the people of this great country.

Today I want to assure the entire nation that I leave behind a strong judiciary a PROFESSIONAL and enthusiastic copies of Judges and judicial officers as well as the staff who are deeply committed to the administration of justice and an increasingly enlighten the public whose confidence in and the demand for our services grows by the day.

I urge you fellow Kenyans to continue giving their unwavering support to the judiciary.

Fellow Kenyans once again I want to thank you most sincerely for the support you have given me and I trust that you will give the same support to the acting chief justice until my predecessor is appointed and thereafter continue to give the judiciary support to uphold the rule of law in this country.

Without the rule of law being held in this country nobody, nobody will be safe and we’ll all together say no to indemnity and maintain the rule of law may God bless you abundantly may God bless our beloved country Kenya thank you very much.