Newly sworn-in Chief Justice Martha Koome is set to shake-up the Judiciary as she seeks to dismantle cartels within the third arm of the government.
Those privy to the details indicate that the President of the Supreme Court is seeking to first reshuffle judges in the Court of Appeal and in the High Court.
The Appellate Court on Thursday received seven new judges, namely; Omondi Hellen Amollo, Msagha Mbogholi, Ngungi Grace Mumbi, Francis Tuiyot, Nyamweya Pauline, Lessit Jessie and Kibaya Laibuta.
Those in the know say that seasoned Appellate Court judges will be moved to stations outside Nairobi. Apart from the country’s capital, the second highest court in the land has five other registries in; Mombasa, Nyeri, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret.
Those likely to be moved are; Justice Mohammed Warsame, Roselyn Nambuye, Hannah Okwengu, Wanjiru Karanja and Milton Makhandia.
Read: Martha Koome Sworn In As Kenya’s First Female Chief Justice
All eyes are trained on the seven judge bench that will hear the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) case that is set to be heard from June 29 to July 2.
According to Weekly Citizen, pro-government lawyers are opposed to Justice Warsame sitting in the seven judge bench over unknown reasons.
Insider sources claim that judges and magistrates who have been at their current work stations for more than three years will in the looming reshuffle be moved.
CJ Koome is also set to move judges and magistrates who have cases of malpractice before the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Among them are the six individuals whose nominations were rejected by President Uhuru Kenyatta. They are; Aggrey Muchelule, George Odunga, Weldon Korir, Joel Ngugi, Registrar of the High Court Judith Omange and Chief Magistrate Evans Makori.
Read Also: Judges Association Wants Uhuru to Immediately Appoint Justices Odunga, Ngugi & 4 Others
Defending his rejection of the six, the head of state said they had integrity issues that had been detailed by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and other security agencies.
While the president did not disclose the integrity issues raised against the six nominees, critics read malice in his rejection of justices Ngugi and Odunga who sat in the 5-judge High Court bench that stopped the BBI “reggae” and declared the constitutional amendments through popular initiative as unconstitutional.
“As long as I serve as President, I will choose the right over the convenient; I will choose the hard over the easy, and I am not doing this for myself, but for the people of Kenya and for posterity,” the president said.
Away from the politics within the judiciary, insiders reckon the CJ will not move the six for fear of being viewed as a collaborator.
The weekly publication also claims that after the reorganization, CJ Koome’s next move will be to oust Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu who is facing graft charges.
Read Also: Nakuru Doctor wants Six Judges Rejected by Uhuru Compensated for Mental Torture
Also facing the axe are judges who have allegedly blocked Mwilu’s prosecution.
While taking over the office of the CJ, Koome plegded conclusion of cases within 3 years, an end to the bad blood between the Judiciary and other arms of government, and equal dispensation of justice.
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