This archive report was first published on 16 December 2019.
Justice James Otieno Odek, a respected Court of Appeal Judge, passed away on an unspecified date in December 2019.
According to Nyanza Regional Police Commander Dr Vincent Makokha, Justice Odek was found dead in his house on Monday morning, with the exact date not specified in the article.
Investigations are ongoing, with a team of investigators at the scene to conduct a thorough examination before the body is moved to the mortuary.
The President of the Supreme Court, Justice David Maraga, sent a message of condolence to the family of the deceased, describing Justice Odek as a celebrated legal scholar across the continent and beyond.
“On behalf of the Judiciary, the Judicial Service Commission and on my own behalf, I wish to express our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and the entire legal fraternity for this shocking loss,” Justice Maraga said in his statement.
Justice Odek was born on October 18, 1963, in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu county, and was sworn in as a Court of Appeal Judge in 2012.
He gained prominence in December 2018 during the trial of lawyer Tom Ojienda over the massive corruption at Mumias Sugar Company, where it was alleged that more than Sh200 million was lost in suspected corrupt deals during the tenure of former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero.
