This archive report was first published on 23 October 2019.
On October 23, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta's decision to reject 41 judges appointed by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) sparked controversy.
The President's move came after months of silence on the matter, with the JSC having nominated the judges four months prior.
According to an affidavit filed by Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua on behalf of the President, the integrity concerns against some of the nominees were the reason for the rejection.
The affidavit stated that the President received adverse reports on some of the nominees after their names were published in the media.
President Kenyatta argued that it would be irresponsible to appoint judges with integrity concerns, and instead, he would return the names to JSC for review.
He also stated that he would seek the court's help if JSC failed to review the nominations.
The JSC had nominated 11 judges for the Court of Appeal, 10 for the Labour Court, and 20 for the Lands Court.
The President's decision has been met with criticism, with some questioning why JSC did not consider the adverse information against the nominees.
