The Judiciary has disowned a fake letter circulating online that claimed former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua attempted to influence a Supreme Court case regarding whether impeached public officers can contest elective office.
Chief Justice Martha Koome clarified in a statement released on Monday, August 17, that neither her office nor any authorized organ within the Judiciary authored or issued the document. The judiciary condemned the circulating statement as a deliberate fabrication designed to hijack the Chief Justice’s name and institutional authority to push political narratives.
“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,” it stated.
Following the widespread sharing of the fake document across social media platforms, the judiciary urged the public, media practitioners, and other stakeholders to verify any communications through official channels before sharing them.
The forged document, which bore official Judiciary branding alongside the Chief Justice’s name, circulated as an official update on a pending Supreme Court case. It claimed that Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu had filed a formal complaint over attempts to influence a constitutional petition.
The fake letter asserted that “The Judicial Service Commission issues this statement following a formal complaint lodged with the Commission by Hon. Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu,” in which she reportedly alleged “sustained and deeply troubling attempts to procure her influence” regarding the matter before the Supreme Court.
It further alleged that former Chief Justice David Maraga and Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka approached Mwilu regarding the eligibility of impeached officers. It even claimed that the Judicial Service Commission planned to investigate Maraga and Musyoka, pursue disciplinary action, and refer the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The hoax emerged on the exact day that Rigathi Gachagua filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal challenging a June High Court ruling by Justices Ogola, Mrima, and Mugambi, which upheld his impeachment. In his appeal, Gachagua argued that the High Court erred in law by treating the Senate’s impeachment decision as final despite acknowledging violations of his right to a fair hearing.
