World Bank Denies Ksh17 Billion Grant to Kenyan Supreme Court Judges

The World Bank has dismissed allegations of planning to grant Ksh17 billion to seven Supreme Court judges to facilitate the construction of courts and toilets.

The multilateral lender in a statement dated Thursday, December 5, said it was yet to receive an official request from Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi to support the country’s judiciary.

According to the World Bank, the only engagement it currently has with Kenya’s Judiciary is a legal assessment dubbed the “Justice Pillars Towards Evidence-based Reform (JUPITER).”

“JUPITER is a universally applicable country-based assessment designed to measure the effectiveness of a country’s judiciary in three critical areas: access to justice, efficiency, and quality,” the World Bank explained.

CS Mbadi leading a delegation to IMFWorld Bank Annual Meetings held Washington on Monday, October 21, 2024.

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National Treasury

World Bank stated that the primary goal of JUPITER was to identify the strengths and opportunities for reforms within justice systems and suggest capacity development actions.

On Thursday morning, Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi took to social media alleging that the World Bank was on the verge of lending Ksh17 billion to the judiciary for the establishment of courts and toilets.

While taking a swipe at Chief Justice Martha Koome, Ahmednasir accused the Judiciary of corruption and sidelining the roles of the Judiciary Service Commission (JSC).

“My concern is corruption. The Office of the Chief Justice has sidelined the Judicial Service Commission, which is the principal organ constitutionally charged with the mandate to make important decisions for the judiciary,” Ahmednasir tweeted.

The lawyer further claimed that the multi-billion deal between the Judiciary and the World Bank was hatched and signed in secrecy and without public participation. 

According to him, the Supreme Court could have instead utilised the World Bank funds to invest in Information Communication and Technology (ICT) for all courts and make it more efficient.

In his statement, Ahmendnasir revealed that he would formally write a letter to World Bank President Ajay Banga to protest the bank’s priorities on Kenya.

“Next week when I come back from London, I will formally write to the President of the World Bank, Ajay Banga to protest the priorities of the bank when it comes to Kenya. This nonsense of spending Ksh17 billion to build a court is unacceptable and must stop,” Ahmednasir said.

A collage of Chief Justice Martha Koome (right) and Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi (right)

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The Judiciary

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