The Judiciary has disowned a letter circulating on social media that claimed former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, former Chief Justice David Maraga and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka were involved in attempts to influence a Supreme Court case.
Chief Justice Martha Koome said the letter was fake and did not come from her office or any authorised organ of the Judiciary.
In a statement issued on Monday, August 17, the Judiciary warned the public against relying on or sharing the document, which carried the Judiciary’s branding and the name of the Chief Justice.
“The Judiciary wishes to categorically state that the letter is FAKE. It was neither authored nor issued by the Hon. Chief Justice, her Office, nor any authorised organ of the Judiciary,” the Judiciary said.
The fake letter purported to be a communication from the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) over a complaint allegedly filed by Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu.
It claimed that attempts had been made to influence Mwilu over a constitutional petition before the Supreme Court concerning whether impeached public officers can contest elective positions.
The document further alleged that Maraga and Kalonzo had approached Mwilu over the matter.
In addition, it stated that an investigation process will be put into place against the two with a possibility of disciplinary measures, together with forwarding the case to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
According to the Judiciary, this was a clear forgery designed to use the Chief Justice’s name and position to propagate political ideologies.
Judiciary urges public to verify letters
The institution urged all members of the public, including journalists and stakeholders, to seek confirmation regarding any communication purportedly coming from either the Chief Justice or Judiciary through proper channels.
This comes amid a series of fake statements being propagated online involving senior politicians.
The latest letter was released on the same day that Gachagua had filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal after the High Court upheld the decision to impeach him.
In its ruling, Justices Ogola, Mrima, and Mugambi upheld the Senate’s decision to impeach Gachagua.
The former Deputy President claims that there were legal errors made by the Justices because the court had concluded that there was a violation of his fair hearing yet treated the Senate’s decision as final.
The case involving impeached public officers has attracted political interest as questions continue over whether leaders removed from office through impeachment can seek elective positions.
The fake Judiciary letter is also the latest in a series of documents circulating online and later being disowned by the people or institutions named in them.
A few days earlier, the Office of former President Uhuru Kenyatta dismissed another statement that claimed he had refused to meet Gachagua to discuss political plans for the Mt Kenya region.
Kanze Dena, a spokesperson for Kenyatta, said that statement was also fabricated and did not originate from the former President’s office.
The latest incident has once again raised concerns over the use of fake official-looking documents to spread political claims, particularly as political activity builds ahead of the 2027 General Election.