Lawyer petitions Uhuru over appointment of judges

Law Society of Kenya Council Member lawyer Kipkoech Bernhard Ng’etich and his counterpart Peter Okiro at a Nakuru Court on January 22, 2019. [Harun Wathari]

A Nakuru-based lawyer has written to the President, demanding that he appoints 41 new judges.

The judges have been recommended for appointment by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) in the Court of Appeal, Environment and Lands Court and the Employment and Labour Relations Court.

Lawyer Peter Okiro says it is more than 35 days since JSC recommended the names to the President.

He says it is necessary that the appointees are confirmed within 14 days.

No delay

In the letter, Mr Okiro argues that though the Constitution does not provide for a particular timeline within which the President should confirm the appointments, it nonetheless demands that he should not delay with the names.

It is unreasonable that all these days have lapsed and the recommended persons have not yet been appointed, sworn in and gazzetted by the President,” reads part of the letter. 

“JSC works under very strict timelines when undertaking the nomination process, but he has taken two months.”

Okiro said the judges should be appointed, so they can handle the backlog of cases in the courts.

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