The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has nominated Justice William Ouko for appointment to the position of Judge of the Supreme Court.
The commission said that, despite all candidates sharing bold ideas for the transformation of the Judiciary, only one could be selected to fill the position.
Vice Chair of the JSC, Olive Mugenda, said the recruitment exercise was open, transparent, competitive, and witnessed the participation of the public and key stakeholders.
“After deliberations this afternoon and careful consideration of the performance of the various candidates who we interviewed for the position of Judge of the Supreme Court, the Commission has today recommended for appointment Hon. Mr. Justice Ouko William Okello, CBS. EBS, President of the Court of Appeal as Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya and has submitted his name to His Excellency the President for appointment,” added Mugenda.
“We take this opportunity to thank all the candidates who applied and participated in this process for their willingness to serve the country through the vacant positions, and for the courage to be subjected to scrutiny through the interviews.”
Justice Ouko, if appointed, will replace Judge Jackton Ojwang who retired in February 2020.
He studied for his bachelor’s degree at the University of Nairobi and a master’s at Egerton University.
He has 33 years of experience in the legal profession.
Justice Ouko served in the High Court from 2004 to 2012, working in Malindi, Meru and Nakuru.
Before being appointed as High Court judge he was a registrar there between 2002 and 2004.
He also served as the pioneer chief court administrator.
He was appointed as a Court of Appeal judge in 2012 and became the President of the Court of Appeal on March 9, 2018, after he was elected by the judges.