This archive report was first published on 3 September 2021.
Published on September 3, 2021, Nairobi — The appointment of 34 judges by President Uhuru Kenyatta in June has eased pressure on the judiciary, according to Chief Justice Martha Koome.
However, Koome remains hopeful that the remaining six judges nominated by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) will soon be appointed to superior courts.
"I believe they will be sworn-in because I do not see any prejudice that is being suffered by anybody by not swearing them in office. They are distinguished imminent Judges who are already serving," Koome said during an interview in the Capital In the Morning show on Friday.
President Kenyatta initially declined to clear the nomination of Justices Aggrey Muchelule, George Odunga, Weldon Korir, and Prof Joel Ngugi, who were to join the Court of Appeal, as well as Chief Magistrate Makori Evans Kiago and High Court Registrar Judith Omange, who were promoted by the JSC to serve as High Court judges.
Despite the setback, Koome acknowledged that the swearing-in of the 34 judges had helped in reducing case backlog in courts.
"The appointment eased the pressure because and since there has been good feedback from the Directorate of performance," she said.
Koome also reaffirmed her commitment to resolving challenges facing the judiciary, stating that she is a problem solver by nature and believes that all problems have solutions.
