NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 20 — President Uhuru Kenyatta has appointed seven judges to the the Court of Appeal following interviews by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) concluded on July 13.
The new Appellate Court judges include Justices Kimaru Luka Kiprotich, Achode Lydia Awino, Mativo John Mutinga, and Ochieng Frederick Andago.
The three other appointees are: Justices Ngenye Grace Wangui and Aroni Abida Ali, and lawyer Gachoka Paul Mwaniki.
The seven were listed in a Gazette Notice dated July 19 increasing the number of judges in the country’s second highest to twenty-six. The law provides for a maximum of thirty Court of Appeal judges.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 166(1)(b) of the constitution of Kenya, l Uhuru Kenyatta, President and the Commander in Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces appoint Kimaru Luka Kiprotich, Gachoka Paul Mwaniki, Achode Lydia Awino, and Ochieng Frederick Andago, Mativo John Mutinga, Ngenye Grace Wangui and Aroni Abida Ali to be judges of the Court of Appeal,” read the gazette notice signed by President Kenyatta.
The announcement came a week after JSC forwarded the seven names to the President on July 13, hours after concluding interviews.
Through a statement, Chief Justice Martha Koome said that the seven were selected after considering all the set parameters following the interviews that commenced on June 27.
“After lengthy deliberate and careful consideration of the performance of the various candidates and based on the Constitutional imperative of merit, gender, regional balance, affirmative action and public interest, the JSC recommended their appointment,” CJ Koome said.
The advertisement to high additional Court of Appeal judges was made on March 14, 2022.
JSC is a Constitutional Commission established under Article 171 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 to promote and facilitate the independence and accountability of the Judiciary and the efficient, effective and transparent administration of justice.
