Kenya’s Judicial Service Commission has condemned what it calls an escalating wave of public vilification and personal attacks against judges and magistrates over recent bail and bond rulings tied to nationwide protests. In a statement on Thursday, Chief Registrar and JSC Secretary Winfridah Mokaya said the criticism, which includes online calls to reveal personal information of judicial officers, “misrepresents the Judiciary’s constitutional role, undermines judicial independence and corrodes public trust in the administration of justice.” The backlash centres on decisions by the Nanyuki and Kahawa Law Courts. On 17 July, the courts released 111 defendants arrested after the 7 July ‘Saba Saba’ demonstrations on KES 50,000 cash bail each. A day earlier, 37 youths charged with terrorism-related offences linked to the 25 June and 7 July protests were granted the same cash bail or an alternative bond of KES 200,000. Critics, including former chief justice David Maraga, say terrorism charges and steep bail terms are being used to suppress dissent. Mokaya stressed that bail and bond determinations are guided by the Constitution, the Criminal Procedure Code and the Judiciary’s Bail and Bond Policy Guidelines, not personal bias. The JSC urged dissatisfied parties to pursue appeals or reviews through established legal channels and said the Judiciary Police Unit will continue to provide security for judicial officers and court stations.