By Wahome Thuku
Anxiety has now gripped the legal fraternity over the fate of three Court of Appeal judges whose vetting results are still being held by the Vetting of Judges and Magistrates Board.
Speculations were rife at the corridors of Nairobi Law Courts on the fate of judges Kalpana Rawal, Martha Koome and David Maranga, even as the board kicked out the seventh judge from the Judiciary for incompetence.
Lady Justice Jeanne Wanjiku Gacheche became the first High Court judge to be sent home after over a host of complaints against her. The board, however, cleared Court of Appeal judge Wanjiru Karanja, and two High Court judges Jessie Lessit and Mbogholi Msagha, the High Court President.
Delay raised conflict
Apparently, the three who were on Friday declared fit to continue on the bench were vetted after Rawal, Koome and Maraga, raising questions about the withholding of the determination. The board has since April this year kicked out judge Mohammed Ibrahim from the Supreme Court and five – Riaga Omolo, Samuel Bosire, Emmanuel O’Kubasu, Joseph Nyamu and Roselyn Nambuye – from the Court of Appeal.
Last Friday, the board withheld the determination for Rawal, Maraga and Koome because they were part of the five-judge bench set to rule on the date for the General Election. It, however, cleared their colleague Lady Justice Hannah Okwengu. The delay raised conflict between the board and the Judiciary.
The board then indicated it would announce the determination on Thursday this week but did not. And though the ruling on the election date was delivered on Tuesday, the board did not release the results of their vetting on Friday even as the vice chairperson Roseline Odede announced that vetting of all Court of Appeal judges had been completed. The board will be announcing dates when other High Court judges will be vetted.
