President Kenyatta appoints 14 High Court judges

President Uhuru Kenyatta at a past event. The President on Tuesday appointed 14 judges more than one year after the Judicial Service Commission recommended their appointment. FILE PHOTO | PSCU

By  MAZERA NDURYA

What you need to know:

  • A statement from the Presidential Strategic Communication Unit (PSCU) said President Kenyatta appointed the judges on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission.
  • The Judicial Service Commission had on January 10, 2014 recommended the appointment of 25 new judges of the High Court.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday appointed 14 judges more than a year after the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) recommended their appointment.

The 14 are the last of the 25 who were recommended by the JSC in January 2014. The first 11 are already in their working stations after they were appointed in June.

The appointment of the new judges comes at a time when the Judiciary is grappling with a large case backlog and a shortage of judicial officials to help speed up the dispensation of justice.

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A statement from the Presidential Strategic Communication Unit (PSCU) said President Kenyatta appointed the judges on the advice of the JSC.

The judges are Riechi Stephen Nyangau; Sawe Olga Akech; Winfrida Adhiambo Okwany; Otieno Patrick Okwara; Anthony Kimani Ndung’u; Mugure Thande; Margaret Njoki Mwangi; and Githinji Stephen Murugu.

Others are Dorah O. Chepkwony; Ongeri Asenath Nyaboke; Kiarie Waweru Kiarie; Njuguna Lucy Mwihaki; Mativo Muting’a John; and Nyakundi Reuben Nyambati.

The appointment of the High Court judges takes effect immediately.

25 NEW JUDGES

The Judicial Service Commission had on January 10, 2014 recommended the appointment of 25 new judges of the High Court.

Making the announcement, Dr Willy Mutunga then said the appointment of 25 new High Court judges would reduce the backlog of cases in courts countrywide as new stations had been identified for establishing new High Court stations where the judges would be posted.

Six months after the list was sent to State House, President Kenyatta on June 27, 2014 approved the appointment of 11 lawyers nominated to become High Court judges by the JSC.

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