Kenya urged to ‘slay dragon' ' of corruption among judges

Kenya's nine-month-old government came under pressure yesterday to introduce sweeping reforms to the judiciary, following the release of a damning report into corruption among judges and magistrates.

A committee set up by President Mwai Kibaki's government found there was credible and substantial evidence of "corruption, unethical conduct and other forms of misbehaviour" among five of Kenya's nine appeals court judges, 18 of 36 high court judges and 82 of 254 magistrates.

The report came as a reminder of the reform agenda with which the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) government won elections last December, ending more than two decades of rule by Daniel arap Moi.

Offences detailed by Justice Aaron Ringera, the committee chairman, included accepting bribes in return for partial judgments, manipulating evidence, ,-stealing exhibits, and
pursuit of sexual favours. "We are apprehensive that in handing this to you, we are presenting to you a dragon. It is bound to snort, jump, kick and even attack, for corruption always fights back," said Mr Ringera as he submitted his report to the `chief justice.

"Your Lordship will have no option but to seize it by the horns and slay it," he added,

His comments echoed public impatience with Mr Kibaki's coalition. Hundreds of officials have been sacked this year, in an attempt to dismantle the patronage networks blamed for the institutional decay and decline of east Africa's leading economy.
Universal primary education has been introduced, and the government has resumed relations with multilateral donors with a view to reviving economic growth and rebuilding institutions.
Meanwhile the public has been treated to a stream of revelations of past skulduggery and scandal, unearthed by a series of investigations
that would have been unthinkable in Kenya a year ago.
But such efforts have also coincided with a slew of misfortunes and controversies, including the death of the vice-president, and press allegations that corruption has crept back into a cabinet riven by factionalism.
Potentially more serious for the government's standing has been its handling of the murder last week of prominent constitutional reform activist, Odhiambo Mbai.
Mr Mbai had argued that the near-dictatorial powers of the presidency, accumulated by former President Moi, should be pared down.
The arrest of a senior editor at the Sunday Standard newspaper, on charges of stealing a videotaped statement by a suspect in the kill- , ing, has further added to the ' controversy surrounding the case.
Last Sunday the paper published what it said was the verbatim confession of the unnamed suspect, said to be in police custody.