The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has nominated 37 candidates for judgeships in the High Court and Environment and Land Court. Chief Justice Martha Koome described the process as highly competitive and issued a warning on corruption. The names have been forwarded to President William Ruto for appointment.
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has nominated 37 candidates for appointment as judges of the High Court and the Environment and Land Court. This marks a major step to bolster Kenya’s Judiciary and tackle case backlogs.
The recruitment drew 377 applications for High Court positions and 243 for Environment and Land Court. From these, 100 were shortlisted for High Court and 50 for Environment and Land Court. The JSC raised High Court vacancies from 20 to 24 and Environment and Land Court from 10 to 13 to cover emerging gaps and reduce delays.
High Court nominees include state counsel Emmanuel Omondi Bitta from the Attorney General’s office. For Environment and Land Court, Bellinda Akoth Akello stood out for her articulate interviews. Magistrates such as Ben Mark Ekhubi, Martha Mutuku, and Letizia Wachira also made the list.
Chief Justice Martha Koome noted the expansion aims to improve the judge-to-case ratio and speed up hearings. Responding to a recent Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) survey on integrity issues, she stated, “Our position is simple and firm: we do not tolerate corruption. And we will act wherever integrity is compromised.”
The 37 names now go to President William Ruto, who will appoint them or return them to JSC with recommendations before swearing-in.
