The Law Society of Kenya has moved to the High Court seeking orders to compel President Uhuru Kenyatta to appoint the remaining 14 of 25 High Court Judges recommended for appointment by the Judicial Service Commission.
Through Lawyer Nzamba Kitonga, the Society is seeking a declaration that President Kenyatta has no business vetting the JSC nominees and that his role in the process is purely ceremonial.
This follows a statement from State House that stated that the President would appoint or reject the remaining nominees once the process of evaluating their suitability is completed.
On July 1st President Kenyatta presided over the swearing in of 11 of the nominees forwarded to him by the JSC in January.
At the swearing in however, Chief Justice Willy Mutunga called for the hasty appointment of Judges given the backlog of cases the Judiciary is faced with.
LSK also wants the High Court to declare that the delay by the President to appoint, swear-in and gazette as Judges the persons whose names were submitted to him by JSC on 11/1/2014 is unreasonable and is therefore unconstitutional.
The nominees in the pending list are Riechi Stephen Nyang’au, Sewe Olga Aluoch, Winfrida Adhiambo Okwany, Otieno Patrick Okwaro, Robert Kipkoech Limo, Anthony Kimani Ndung’u and Mugure Thande. Others are Margaret Njoki Mwangi, Githinji Stephen Murugu, Dorah O. Chepkwony, Ongeri Asaneth Nyaboke, Kiarie Waweru Kiarie, Njuguna Lucy Mwihaki and Mativo Muting’a John.
AUTHOR:BEN GUMO