I've what it takes to become Chief Justice, Yano tells JSC panel

Lawyer Alice Yano on Friday, April 23 exuded confidence that she had the experience and steam to lead Kenya’s court system as Chief Justice.

While appearing before the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) panel as the last interviewee for the CJ post, Yano who is the youngest among those who applied for the position, said she had the leadership skills and qualifications to be the next Chief Justice.

Yano told the panel that after being born the eldest in a family of 25 children, she started being a leader at a tender age and was experienced enough to get the job.

“I may be young in terms of application but not young in experience, as a firstborn in a family of 25 children in Nakuru, I became a leader at a tender age,” she said.

Yano also narrated how she has participated in empowering women through her initiatives and through the activities of the Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organisation.

She said through such initiatives, they have managed to reduce Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Elgeyo Marakwet County which was once treated as the hot spot of the vice.

"I with other women formed Women empowerment in Basic Services and worked with Maendeleo Ya Wanawake in efforts to do away with FGM in Elegeyo Marakwet,” she said.

Yano also described herself as a go-getter and a generous person, qualities she said will come in handy for the position.

On a question on how to deal with the backlog of cases in courts, Yano said as a CJ, she would ensure the Judiciary take part in alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to reduces the number of cases finding themselves in the courts.

She said if properly utilised, the move will help the courts deal with the problem of backlog of cases in the courts.

The lawyer cited the Marakwet traditional way of dealing with murder cases which she described as a deterrent to the would-be offenders.

“Marakwet has a way of dealing with murder cases, if a Marakwet commits murder, it behoves the family of the suspect to pay the bereaved family, cattle equivalent to the total number of bones of the deceased person,” she said.

“Even cases where the matter goes to court, if the suspect is released, he or she will pay the cattle equivalent to the total number of bones in the body.”