Appeals court hit by shortage of judges

Justice William Ouko and his colleagues at the Court of Appeal, Asike Makhandia and Otieno Odek, said whether Mr Moses Tengeya Omweno was a citizen or not, due process must be followed. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Justice Ouko emphasised on integrity and asked the appellate judges to maintain the confidence Kenyans have in them.
  • Justice Ouko asked the judges to align their strategies with CJ Maraga’s overall vision of the Judiciary.

The Court of Appeal is grappling with a shortage of judges, which is affecting service delivery countrywide.

Court of Appeal President William Ouko on Wednesday said that after the appointment of Chief Justice David Maraga and his deputy Philomena Mwilu to the Supreme Court, their positions at the Court of Appeal have not yet been filled.

Speaking during the Judiciary Training Institute’s retreat for Appeal Judges at Serena Beach Hotel, Justice Ouko also noted that his predecessor, Justice Paul Kihara Kariuki, has been appointed the Attorney-General.

“After the exit of the three, we are yet to get replacements and that has strained our operations and proper service delivery,” he said and added:

“We also have a big shortage of clerks in our courts, forcing two or more judges to be served by a single clerk.

“For efficiency, at least each judge must have his or her own clerk but at the moment the workload is heavier because of the little workforce. We know some staff retired but they have not been replaced,” Justice Ouko said.

Justice Ouko used the four-day retreat to outline his five-year vision for the Court of Appeal, emphasising on integrity and asking the appellate judges to maintain the confidence Kenyans have in them.

He asked the judges to align their strategies with CJ Maraga’s overall vision of the Judiciary.