Judiciary/FILEThe Judiciary has dismissed as fake a letter circulating on social media and purporting to have been issued by Chief Justice Martha Koome over alleged attempts to interfere with the independence of the Supreme Court.
The document, dated August 17, 2026, bears the letterhead of the Office of the Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court.
However, the Judiciary said the letter was fabricated and did not originate from the Chief Justice, her office or any authorised organ of the institution.
“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 fabricated letter purports to claim that a judge had lodged a complaint with the Judicial Service Commission over alleged attempts to influence their relation to a matter pending before the Supreme Court.
According to the document, the purported case involves a constitutional petition seeking a determination on whether impeached public officers are eligible to contest elective positions.
The document goes further to purport that the Judicial Service Commission had ordered an investigation into some leaders, with possible disciplinary proceedings and referral to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
None of those claims was contained in an authorised communication from the Judiciary.
The Judiciary said the fabrication was particularly serious because it sought to attribute institutional positions to the Judiciary that it had neither taken nor expressed.
“The deliberate fabrication and circulation of purported official communication is a serious matter, particularly where it seeks to attribute to the Judiciary positions that it has neither taken nor expressed,” the institution said.
It further raised concern over attempts to invoke the name and authority of the Chief Justice to construct or amplify political narratives and partisan interests.
“The Judiciary is an independent arm of Government, constitutionally mandated to exercise judicial authority independently and impartially,” it said.
The Judiciary warned that the name, office and authority of the Chief Justice must not be misrepresented to give credibility to political messaging or misinformation.
The Judiciary urged members of the public, media practitioners and other stakeholders to exercise due diligence when dealing with purported official communication.
It said any communication attributed to the Chief Justice or the Judiciary should be verified through established official channels before it is relied upon or disseminated.
The institution reaffirmed that it would continue to discharge its constitutional mandate with independence, impartiality and fidelity to the Constitution and the law.
“The public is advised to disregard the fabricated letter and any narratives derived from it,” the Judiciary said.
