President William Ruto has been sued through the Attorney General’s office by the Linda Jamii lobby group after saying the infamous statement “Mambo ni Matatu’” while in a tour of the Western region some few days ago.
The Linda Jamii group filed a petition in the Milimani law courts on Tuesday seeking to have President Ruto withdraw those remarks and apologize thereafter.
In a court document that was accessed by KDRTV, the lobby group argued that the President is a symbol of national unity and such utterances which are like death threats should not be coming from an office which ought to unite people.
“The President’s comments if not retracted and an official unconditional apology proffered, will create a perception in Kenya that undermines judicial independence and will also see the rule of law disrespected without a recourse,” the group submitted.
The lobby group however acknowledged the conundrums affecting the sugar industry should be solved by the relevant authorities but not in the direction of threatening people which is not only helpful but also just a populist way of addressing the issues.
The group further added that the infamous “mambo ni matatu” phrase not only amounts to death threats but also undermine the rule of law, separation of powers doctrine and checks and balances system as encompassed in the Kenyan constitution which was promulgated in 2010 led by the then President the late Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki.
The petition emphasized millionaire industrialist Jaswant Rai’s decision to withdraw a litigation challenging the leasing of the Mumias Sugar Company before the Appellate Court, putting doubt on whether the move was voluntary or prompted by the threats.
As a result, the lobby organization questioned the effectiveness of the judicial system, which requires the resolution of legal disputes in compliance with established laws and principles.
Also Read: Mambo ni Matatu- President Ruto Revisits Phrase in the Africa Climate Summit
