Four Commissioners From Mt Kenya Reduced My Scores – SC Fred Ngatia

Senior Counsel Fred Ngatia has become the first to complain after failing to be nominated as Kenya’s next Chief Justice.

Ngatia, who had been tipped by a section of Kenyans as the frontrunner missed the nomination, which was clinched by Court of Appeal Judge Martha Koome.

Speaking to a local daily, Ngatia said that four Mount Kenya commissioners of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) reduced his scores after receiving calls from powerful individuals in the government.

“Four commissioners from Mt Kenya reduced my scores yesterday (Monday) afternoon after they were called by powerful people. Without that intervention, I was far ahead of all the other candidates,” Ngatia said as quoted by Business Daily.

Read: Ksh500,000 That Could Block Fred Ngatia From Becoming Kenya’s Next CJ

10 candidates were shortlisted for interviews for the post, which were concluded last week on Friday.

Apart from Ngatia and Justice Koome, other contestants included Justice Said Chitembwe, Prof Patricia Mbote, Justice Marete Njagi, Senior Counsel Philip Murgor, Justice Nduma Nderi, Justice William Ouko, Dr Wekesa Moni and Alice Yano.

Justice Koome, if approved by Parliament, will become Kenya’s first female Chief Justice.

Koome, who has 33 years of experience in legal practice, joined the Judiciary in 2003. Prior to that, she was a human rights defender.

Born in 1960 in Meru County, Koome has a Master of Laws in Public International Law from the University of London (2010), a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Nairobi (1986) and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law.

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