Former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju has expressed frustration over what he terms as unfair treatment by five Supreme Court judges in his ongoing legal battle against the East African Development Bank (EADB). Tuju now faces a lengthy wait, as the case may only be heard after a decade.
The dispute involves a contested 27-acre parcel of land in Karen, which has been the subject of litigation. According to Tuju, the judges, led by Chief Justice Martha Koome, recused themselves from the case, leaving him in legal limbo.
“Why did they recuse themselves? What precipitated their recusal?” he questioned during an interview on Spice FM on Monday. “It means that I will never be heard until 2036 when the youngest of them retires, and therefore I’ll be able to have a quorum. I have a right to be heard.”
Tuju further claimed that the conflict with the judges was fueled by what he described as false evidence presented by EADB. He revealed that the bank had accused him of obtaining confidential documents illegally from its Kampala offices—an allegation that led to him being summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
“They were given to me by the bank during our time of negotiation,” he explained. “Because I was supposed to pay 10% for this project, I said I can because it was Ksh.90 million. I needed assurance that they would disburse the rest of the loan when I paid the 10%. They said don’t worry, and here are the board minutes.”
Tuju’s frustrations come days after he penned a letter to CJ Koome, raising concerns about the conduct of the judges. He accused the Supreme Court of failing in its duty to uphold the rule of law, ensure fair trial proceedings, and protect the Constitution.
