Maraga pledges to overhaul Ombudsman in CJ interview
Court of Appeal Judge David Maraga arrives for an interview for Chief Justice position on Wednesday morning, August 31, 2016. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO
What you need to know:
- The judge said in his first year in office he would overhaul the Judiciary Ombudsman and have it restructured.
- He will also establish a full secretariat and have proper investigators to investigate complaints so as to reduce corruption and restore public confidence in the Judiciary.
- He cited his record as the presiding judge of the appellate court in Kisumu from October 2014 to July 2016 where he made 1,250 judgments thereby clearing case backlogs.
Court of Appeal Judge David Maraga, 64, was the third candidate to be interviewed for the Chief Justice post on Wednesday morning before the Judicial Service Commission.
The judge said in his first year in office he would restructure the Judiciary Ombudsman so it can be headed by a senior serving or retired jurist, who would investigate complaints against judges.
He will also establish a full secretariat and have proper investigators to loon into complaints as a way to reduce corruption and restore public confidence in the Judiciary.
He said he would also open an email address where complaints could be sent, as suggestion boxes are outdated and ineffective.
PERSON OF INTEGRITY
He describes himself as a decisive person of integrity and humility, and a good time manager. He said he had never been challenged to influence a ruling in his judicial duties, attributes he said are critical for anyone serving as Chief Justice.
He cited his record as the presiding judge of the appellate court in Kisumu from October 2014 to July 2016 where he made 1,250 judgments thereby clearing case backlogs.
