Marende: Why I’m not in Chief Justice race

Despite being considered favourite to take over as Chief Justice at the Supreme Court by informal social media, radio and TV polls, former Parliament Speaker Kenneth Marende said he was not interested in the job.

Instead, Marende (pictured) says he has his eye on a political seat, but refused to elaborate on this matter. The former Emuhaya MP on Friday yesterday said he was surprised by media reports that he had applied to succeed his former teacher, Dr Willy Mutunga, as Chief Justice.

He said at first, he read mischief but later realised that it could be testimony of the “amount of faith Kenyans have in me”.

“I have other interests. Very soon, I will be applying to Kenyans to serve them in a position commensurate with the one I was holding before 2013. You will remember that at that time, I was position three in the pecking order,” Marende said, hinting at a political come-back.

He refused to state the position he will be gunning for. “That’s not to say I am not qualified. I have 37 years of solid experience.” Before he even cleared law school, Marende was offered jobs. The first job was to serve as a magistrate and the other as State Counsel at the Attorney General’s Chambers. He chose to go to Sheria House.

Within three years, he quit to join private practice, at first working with a sister law firm to Hamilton Harrison & Mathews before forming his own company in 1988.

He practiced law until 2002 when he was elected Emuhaya MP on Narc ticket. In the 9th Parliament, Marende served as Secretary for Legal Affairs at the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a constituent party of Narc. In 2007 he was re-elected, but he resigned after being elected Speaker.