The Judiciary has firmly refuted viral social media claims suggesting that it warned former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua against misinterpreting the law in relation to his ongoing impeachment case.
In a statement issued on Saturday, May 24, the Judiciary flagged the online posts, which were widely shared across X and Facebook, as fake and misleading.
The false claims alleged that Gachagua had attempted to twist legal interpretations to avoid sentencing, despite his impeachment by the Senate.
One fabricated post, which included a doctored quote attributed to Chief Justice Martha Koome, stated: “If you’re impeached, you’re impeached permanently. Even if you have a case in court, you’re still impeached. The appeal does not make you clean or take away the sentence.”
The post further implied that Gachagua’s legal strategy could result in criminal consequences.
The Judiciary clarified that neither Chief Justice Koome nor any judicial officer had issued such statements, calling the misinformation a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.
The clarification came amid growing public concern, with several citizens urging CJ Koome to respond to the alleged remarks.
This clarification follows recent developments in Gachagua’s impeachment petition.
On Friday, Chief Justice Koome reappointed Justices Eric Ogola, Anthony Mrima, and Freda Mugambi to preside over the petitions filed by Gachagua’s legal team.
The move came after the Court of Appeal nullified an earlier bench constituted by Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, ruling that only the Chief Justice has the constitutional mandate to empanel a bench for such high-profile matters.
Gachagua’s legal team had successfully argued that DCJ Mwilu’s selection of the bench was unconstitutional, prompting the appellate court to redirect the matter to CJ Koome.
The Judiciary emphasized its commitment to impartiality and due process and urged Kenyans to verify information through official channels.
“We continue to urge the public to be vigilant against misinformation and rely only on official communication from the Judiciary,” the statement concluded.
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