Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah is now challenging President William Ruto to table evidence against judges or litigants who have been receiving bribes to alter judgments.

Speaking to the press on Friday, January 5, Omtatah fired back at the Head of State for making claims against the judiciary of corruption, particularly on the highly contested Housing Levy.

The first time senator petitioned against the Affordable Housing Bill, 2023 which falls under the  Finance Act, 2023.

Omtatah, whose petition led to suspension of the Housing Levy in November 2023, dismissed claims that he bribed High Court judges to make the ruling.

“The President has alleged without basis that the judges who have or are presiding over cases challenging the Affordable Housing Levy, and the Social Insurance Fund, were bribed by the litigants, including myself, to give orders against his two pet projects.

“I take this opportunity to state categorically that I have not bribed any judge, neither am I contemplating doing so. I don’t even know how judges are bribed and I am not so morally depraved that I can do so,” he added.

He went on to challenge the first in command to substantiate his claims with evidence before the courts.

“His Excellency the President has a right under the law to be heard, and he also has the right to protest just as he has done, and he has access to intelligence, which other Kenyans and I don’t have…

“I look him straight in the eye and challenge him to table the evidence of bribe taking against any judge or bribe giving he has against any litigant and let the chips fall where they may.”

Omtatah stated that the President’s threats to the judiciary would soon extend to the media, which has already been accused severally of “working with the opposition”.

“Since the independent Judiciary in Kenya is under attack by the Kenya Kwanza Government, I am sure that the next target will be our free Press. And that should concern every Kenyan,” the senator added.

This comes ahead of a Court of Appeal ruling on whether to suspend the Housing Levy on January 26, 2023.

Applicants including the Attorney General, KRA, Treasury and Parliament submitted their oral plea urging the court to extend stay orders protecting enforcement of the tax past January 10 when it is supposed to lapse.

President Ruto in a funeral earlier this week intimated that his administration would no longer follow court orders as he accused the Judiciary of taking bribes in order to sabotage the government.