Mischief read as petitions filed against candidates for top judiciary jobs

The Judiciary has received at least a petition against each of the shortlisted candidates for the top three vacant positions.

Interviews for the positions of Chief Justice, Deputy Chief Justice and Supreme Court judge are scheduled to start three weeks from now on August 29.

The Sunday Nation learnt that not only has the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) been inundated by petitions, but also suspicions that the candidates were sponsoring the petitions against each other.

“That’s a likely possibility. You cannot rule that out in the circumstances. But there are petitions for each of the shortlisted candidates,” a member of JSC who spoke on condition of anonymity told Sunday Nation.

It is suspected that candidates have been using civil society activists and lawyers to draft and file the petitions with the aim of undercutting each other.

However, the commissioner said the candidates will be given adequate opportunity to respond to the petitions against them.

“All the petitions will be evaluated by JSC and presented to the candidates so that they can respond,” the commissioner said.

Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Anne Amadi had in July also told Sunday Nation that unlike in 2011 recruitment, JSC will try as much as possible not to confront the candidates with accusations that they have not had a chance to interrogate.

“Last time candidates were confronted with accusations that they had not even interrogated right at the interview in the full glare of the media," said Ms Amadi.

"This time, the commission will give the candidates time to respond in advance to any questions raised by the public to ensure that the interviews serve their purpose instead of causing embarrassment."

Blogger Abraham Kiplangat Mutai in July filed two petitions with JSC seeking to block two shortlisted candidates for the position of Chief Justice, Supreme Court Justice Smokin Wanjala and senior counsel Nzamba Kitonga.