How DP Kindiki’s Stance On ODPP Sharply Differs With President Ruto
Just a fortnight after President William Ruto chastised the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), his Deputy Kithure Kindiki appears to be reading from a different script about the office’s operational structure.
During the unveiling of the ODPP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 in Nairobi, Kindiki insisted that the prosecutor’s duty should not be messed with.
“The decisions you make on who to prosecute, which prosecution to terminate, those, nobody should interfere with that decisional independence,” Kindiki stated.
“Independent institutions and offices are independent in four aspects, decisional independence, that you have the independent decision to act without interference from any authority or quotas,” he added.
DP Kindiki reiterates govt's commitment to safeguard independence of ODPP, other institutions; asks prosecutors to be fair, impartial and objective in their mandate pic.twitter.com/ohEkbok3v6
— The Standard Digital (@StandardKenya) December 4, 2024
This comes just 13 days after President Ruto criticized the ODPP and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in his State of the Nation Address to the National Assembly on November 21.
He also accused the judiciary of failing to resolve graft matters in a timely manner.
“It cannot be the case that the director of public prosecutions keeps dropping cases because somehow they are unable to produce witnesses,” Ruto stated.
“It also cannot be the case that corruption suspects rush to court to obtain anticipatory bail that shields them from due process and enables them to compromise investigations.”
The Head of State highlighted that anti-graft measures “will only achieve intended results if and only if institutions charged with integrity stop hiding the transparent screen of independence and rise to meet people’s expectations on matters of integrity.”
He questioned how prosecuting authorities were dropping charges because they couldn’t find witnesses or establish enough evidence in bribery and corruption cases.
ALSO READ:
- “Ruto’s Directive Saved Fuel Prices!” – Wandayi Claims Despite Public Outcry
- Ruto CSs Make Flurry Of Appointments As Attorney General Picks Governor Kilonzo
- Outrage After 25-Year-Old Man Dies In Police Custody
- ODM’s Oburu Responds To Reports Of Suspending Coalition Talks With UDA
- “Don’t Attack Public Infrastructure!” – IG Kanja Asks Kenyans, Issues Orders To Police
Kindiki further suggested that autonomous offices and institutions should be allowed to operate freely within their structures.
Kindiki believes that in order for the ODPP to function freely, the office should be given the authority to manage its own business, including funds.
“You also have an administrative independence whereby the ODPP as an independent institution must run its administratively under the chain of command that is established,” the DP added.
Kindiki, on the other hand, challenged the ODPP to overcome its shortcomings and contribute to the reshaping of the country’s legal sector.
How DP Kindiki’s Stance On ODPP Sharply Differs With President Ruto
