President Kenyatta appoints Justice Koome as Chief Justice

President Uhuru Kenyatta has appointed Lady Justice Martha Koome as Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya.

In a gazette notice, Kenyatta appointed Koome less than three hours after the National Assembly approved her nomination.

The Justice and Legal Affairs Chairperson Muturi Kigano said that the committee has unanimously endorsed the approval of Koome for appointment by the President to become the next Chief Justice of the Republic.

“She will be seeking to reclaim lost glory for the judiciary in line with the principles that were for a long time enunciated by the late Justice Chunilal Madan,” he said.

Koome was nominated by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and her name approved by Kenyatta after emerging top among nine other candidates interviewed for the post.

In a letter dated April this year, the president asked National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi to fast-track the vetting.

President Kenyatta also attached the required documents including the original copy of the JSC report on the recruitment and selection process for the CJ and Justice Koome’s Curriculum Vitae, which were forwarded to JLAC.

Koome will become the country’s first female Chief Justice.

Having 33 years of experience in legal practice, she has distinguished herself as a champion for the rights of women and the welfare of children.

She at one time served as the Chairperson of the National Council on the Administration of Justice special taskforce on children matters where she helped steer the review of the Children’s Act.

Her appointment will firmly put a majority of the leadership of the Judiciary in the hands of women.

These include: Philomena Mwilu (Deputy Chief Justice); Prof. Olive Mugenda (Vice Chair, Judicial Service Commission); Wanjiru Karanja (Acting President, Court of Appeal); and Lydia Achode (Principal Judge, High Court).

She’s now expected to take Oath of Office at Supreme Court buildings any time from now.