Supreme Court judge Jacktone Ojwang’ has been cleared of all four charges that led to his suspension.
He was accused of misconduct, impropriety, conflict of interest and breach of the judicial code of conduct.
However, a team led by appeal judge Alnashir Visram which investigated his conduct absolved him of any wrongdoing after analyzing evidence from more than 15 witnesses.
The team also recommended that the judge resumes work immediately.
The tribunal hearings were done in-camera.
Those who provided information to the tribunal included Chief Justice David Maraga. Maraga’s statement was made on his behalf by Judiciary registrar Anne Amadi, highlighting procedures of the Judicial Service Commission hearing.
On the first day, the tribunal visited Migori to find out whether there was a road that was tarmacked by the county government to the judge’s rural home.
A complaint filed by Nelson Onyango and eight others formed the basis of the JSC recommendation for further investigations. They alleged that a road was built to his home.
They took issue with the fact that the judge sat on a bench of Supreme Court judges in a case that involved Migori county, yet he was closely associated with Governor Okoth Obado.
In their view, Ojwang should have informed the court and other parties of his association with the county chief but failed to do so until they protested.
“Upon presentation of the report by the [JSC] committee, the full commission deliberated on the same at great length and found that the petition had disclosed sufficient grounds to warrant a recommendation to the President to set up a tribunal for removal of Justice Jacktone Ojwang, and accordingly adopted it,” CJ David Maraga had said on March 21.
