Prof. Patricia Kameri-Mbote has told the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) that she is the perfect candidate to succeed retired Chief Justice David Maraga despite her “restless” past.
Prof Mbote was put to task to explain the reason that prompted her to start a competing Law School at Strathmore University, after failing to get the position of dean at the University of Nairobi (UoN).
According to Prof Mbote, she was “young” and inexperienced.
“I was young and restless. I was in my 40s. When you work in groups there will always be a dominant person. I know I can be a dominant person and I have learnt to let others do their part to avoid being dictatorial,” she said.
However, she later went back to UoN and currently and is the dean of the School of Law.
Kameri-Mbote is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and was conferred the rank of Senior Counsel in 2012.
Read: Why I Set Free 19-year-old Man Who Defiled A 17-year-old Girl – Justice Chitembwe
She also served as the Chair of the Department of Private Law at the School from 2002 to 2008.
She was a member of the Committee of Eminent Persons appointed by retired President Mwai Kibaki in February 2006 to advise the government on the way forward for the stalled constitution review process and also served as a Policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
She also serves on various boards such as: the Global Council of the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP); the International Development Law Organization (IDLO); the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB); Lewa Wildlife Conservancy; Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE-Uganda); and the Kenya Land Conservation Trust.
She is the Chair of the Advisory Board of Strathmore Law School (Strathmore University, Nairobi) whose preparation, planning, initiation and launch she executed between 2009 and March
2012.
Prof Mbote seemingly distanced herself from her role in the crafting of the Building Bridges Initiative, terming her role as scholarly.
Read: Justice Chitembwe Breaks Down During Grilling for Chief Justice Job
“I got into BBI, as a scholar but I did not write the document. I am currently advising Parliament on proposed amendments. Being appointed does not mean you work alone,” she said.
In matters of election petitions, Prof Patricia Mbote says all election petitions should end at the Court of Appeal and not taken to the Supreme Court.
“We should aspire to end issues there unless it’s a matter of public importance which would justify bringing them to the Supreme Court. Cases should come to an end especially if we say they are time-bound. Ending the matters at the Court of Appeal would sort the matters,” she said.
Prof Mbote is looking to outwit Justice Chitembwe, Fred Ngatia, Philip Murgor, Justice Martha Koome, Justice Marete Njagi, Justice Nduma Nderi, Justice William Ouko, Dr Wekesa Moni and Alice Yano to become Kenya’s next Chief Justice.
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