CJ shuffles Judges

By Beatrice Obwocha

NAIROBI, KENYA: Chief Justice Willy Mutunga on Thursday reshuffled judges and decentralised the Court of Appeal to three towns in a bid to ease backlog of cases.

The Court of Appeal will now permanently sit in Kisumu, Nyeri and Mombasa.

Dr Mutunga also announced the appointment of five new heads of High Court divisions as well as resident judges for six stations across the country to replace those appointed to the Court of Appeal.

In the changes, Mutunga announced that three Court of Appeal Judges will sit in Mombasa, saying they will be based in Malindi where the judiciary has an ultra-modern building.

Appellate judges posted to Mombasa are Justice Alnashir Visram, Justice Asike Makhandia and Justice Prof Otieno Odek.

Court of Appeal judges who will serve in Kisumu are Justices Daniel Maraga, Fatuma Sichale, Sankale Ole Kantai and Festus Azangalala.

Appellate Judges Martha Koome, John Mwera, Patrick Kiage Mohammed Warsame have been posted to Nyeri.

Mutunga left 16 judges at the Court of Appeal in Nairobi. They area Justices Erastus Githinji, Onyango Otieno, Kihara Kariuki, Wanjiru Karanja, Roselyne Nambuye, Kalpana Rawal, GBM Kariuki, Daniel Musinga, Philomena Mwilu, William Ouko, Agnes Murgor, Kathurima M’inoti, Stephen Kairu, Jamila Mohammed, Hannah Okwengu and Philip Waki.

Dr Mutunga also appointed Justice Prof Joel Ngugi as acting director of the Judiciary Training Institute in addition to his role as the Head of the Judiciary Transformation Secretariat.

The CJ also appointed new heads of High Court divisions.

Justice Luka Kimaru has been appointed to Head the Family division, Justice Isaac Lenaola is in charge of Constitutional Division while Justice Msagha Mbogholi, who is the Principal Judge of the High Court, will be in charge of the Criminal division.

Justice Pauline Nyamweya has been appointed to head the Land and Environment division, Justice Weldon Korir heads the Judicial Review Division while Justice Hatari Waweru will be in charge of Civil Division.

Commercial and Admiralty Division will be headed by Justice George Kanyi Kimondo while Industrial Court head is Justice Mathews Nderi Nduma.

The CJ said it was necessary to reorganise operations in the Judiciary in order to ensure continued access to and expeditious delivery of justice

“The recent appointment of eight High Court judges to the Court of Appeal, as well as determinations by the Judges and Magistrates Vetting Board, have created capacity constraints in the Judiciary," he said.

He also announced that the Court of Appeal will meet on February 18 to elect their President  as well as pick their representative to the Judicial Service Commission.

Read CJ Mutunga's full reshuffle list here