Kenyans should know how to manage their expectations and give CJ Koome time to do her job

Chief Justice Martha Koome speaking at the Children’s Remand Home in Kisumu. [Washington Onyango, Standard]

For the past four weeks, Kenya’s legal minds have been in overdrive, and our indefatigable analysts have followed suit.

From May 7, when Judicial Service Commission sent the name of Martha Koome to President Uhuru Kenyatta as a nominee for Chief Justice, tongues have been wagging, and lashing too. On May 19, when Uhuru appointed her, fingers started overworking with all sorts of predictions on how she will perform.

Analysts, and they are many in Kenya, came up with all sorts of scenarios, and drew conclusions even before she was sworn in.

Oh, they started asking why it was taking too long, and when she took oath of office, they asked why it was done so fast. When she assumed office a few days later, there were more questions, and insinuations — with her every move being analysed.

No point in pulling out the woman card here and saying she is being treated that way because of her gender, but it almost seems so, because her predecessors were never expected to clear the mess in the Judiciary, and other arms of government, within a few hours.

Of course she is supposed to work for Kenyans, and they have a right to ask her to deliver, but what is happening now is nothing less than fault-finding. They want her to fight with the Executive on their terms, totally forgetting that she has her style. When 34 judges were appointed by Uhuru, and sworn-in, the vociferous legal minds and raucous analysts said she had failed the test. What test yet her predecessor wailed for almost two years and the judges were never appointed?

Well, by getting the 34 judges in, who knows, she might have just got the arsenal she needs to fight and win the wars that people want her to have with the Executive.

Also, Kenyans need to know how to manage their expectations, and to be polite in the process.