Court bars swearing in of Aaron Ringera tribunal, reinstates suspended Judicial Service Commissioners

Chief Justice Willy Mutunga (left) with members of the Judicial Service Commission. Court has ordered 3-judge bench be formed to hear JSC petition on suspended commissioners. (Photo:File/Standard)

By Kurian Musa

Nairobi, Kenya: The High Court Tuesday suspended a gazette notice that formed tribunal mandated to probe conduct of six Judicial Service Commission members.

This followed a suit filed by the JSC seeking to stop the proceedings, in which they argued that President Uhuru Kenyatta acted unconstitutionally when he suspended the commissioners.

The commissioners; Ahmednasir Abdullahi, Samuel Kobia, Christine Mango, Justice Mohamed Wasarme, Emily Ominde and Florence Mwangangi were suspended on Friday and a tribunal chaired by retired Justice Aaron Ringera formed to investigate them.

The team has Jennifer Shamallah, Ambrose Otieno Weda and Mutua Kilaka as members.

While making the ruling, Justice Odunga reinstated the six members and directed Chief Justice Willy Mutunga to form a three-judge bench to hear the petition filed by JSC on Monday.

Monday, the Office of the Ombudsman had urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to rescind his decision to suspend the six members pending findings of a tribunal he appointed to probe them.

Justice Odunga said that the court order barring parliament from discussing suspension of the members was still on course.