Candidate for judge quizzed in camera

Interviews for High Court judges ended Wednesday with the vetting of five candidates.

One of the candidates, Justice (rtd) Samuel Mukunya, was interviewed in camera but no reasons were given by the Judicial Service Commission.

The commission had earlier raised eyebrows among lawyers when it belatedly included his name among the shortlisted candidates for interview.

In an e-mail to the commission, the lawyers, mainly from the Mt Kenya region, had accused it of cronyism, arguing that his name had not even appeared on the initial list of 234 candidates who had applied for the posts.

But the commission, through the chair of the preliminary selection committee, Mr Titus Gateere, had explained that the omission “was inadvertent”.

Justice (rtd) Mukunya had also applied to be a Supreme Court judge but was not shortlisted. The lawyers had asked the commission why it took so long to issue a list of rescheduled interviews, which increased the number of candidates from 114 to 115 after the retired judge was listed.

Justice (rtd) Mukunya sat on the bench of the Interim Independent Constitutional Dispute Resolution Court, which made a landmark ruling that allowed prisoners to vote in last year’s constitutional referendum in August.

Also among those interviewed yesterday was the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission chief executive Patricia Nyaundi.

She was asked if she would ditch the truth team without completing its goals should she be selected as a High Court judge.

She said although the truth commission could appoint another person, she would request time to wind up before taking up her job as a judge.

“My thinking will be to see if there will be any latitude with the Judicial Service Commission to see that I complete the work there,” she said.

Others interviewed were the national coordinator of legal aid in the Ministry of Justice, Ms Anne Amadi, Nakuru magistrate Weldon Korir and Kibera senior principal magistrate Grace Nzioka.