Judicial Service Commission begins search for Chief Registrar

By Cyrus Ombati

Nairobi, Kenya: The Judicial Service Commission is now seeking to recruit a Chief Registrar of the Judiciary.

JSC placed an advert in the local media Monday calling on candidates seeking to succeed Gladys Shollei to apply by November 18.

Eligibility for the position requires one to have been an advocate of the High Court, with ten years as a professionally qualified magistrate and have attained qualifications of a High Court Judge.

The candidates also need to have had ten years’ experience as a distinguished academic and legal practitioner or such experience in other relevant legal field.

Those interested are required to apply only through the judiciary’s website www.judiciary.go.ke/jobs, the advert said.

The candidates will also have to drop hard copies of the application at the JSC commission at Mayfair Centre in Upper Hill.

The CRJ will be among others, the overall administrator and manager of the Judiciary and perform the functions of Secretary of JSC.

Last week, deputy CRJ Kakai Kissinger was appointed as the acting Chief Registrar.

This followed the dismissal of Shollei for what the JSC termed as insurbodination and sideshows.

Chief Justice Willy Mutunga made the announcement to his staff in a letter in which he said Kissinger would hold the position until the JSC advertises and competitively fills the position.

It was also Kissinger who stepped into Shollei’s shoes when she was sent on compulsory leave to allow the JSC investigate the allegations of, “malpractice” leveled against her.

Kissinger also managed the Judiciary Transformation Fund.

According to his resume, before joining the Judiciary Kissinger worked in the Development, Governance and Human Rights sector for nine years with the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ) and the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) as a Senior Governance Adviser and Executive Director respectively.

He also worked as a legal assistant for Musyoka and Wambua Advocates and for Muthoga Gaturu and Company Advocates after being admitted to the bar in April of 2001.

The dismissal of Shollei remains controversial amid claims of premeditated decision by the commission, which JSC denies.