Law professor Makau Mutua and six other applicants for the judiciary’s top job yesterday got a lifeline after a judge ruled it was illegal to leave them out of the shortlist.
The others are Supreme Court judge Jackton Ojwang, former anti-graft chief Aaron Ringera, David Wambua, Isaac Rutenberg and David Waihiga. Eliminated candidates for Deputy Chief Justice and Supreme Court judge will also be reconsidered.
Justice George Odunga barred the Judicial Service Commission from making recommendations to the President until they are considered.
The JSC interviewed Justice Alnashir Visram yesterday. The Court of Appeal judge said he will rid the judiciary of corruption in 100 days. He has worked in the judiciary for 17 years.
Visram said he will automate the courts, restore public confidence in the Supreme Court and clear the backlog of cases.
He said he will establish a directorate of anti-corruption to handle daily corruption complaints.
Visram said he will meet stakeholders to identify weaknesses in the judiciary and handle them.
Automation would help curb corruption because some registry officials delay filing and demand bribes.
Visram called for mediation, to reduce the backlog.
He told the JSC he reduced the backlog at the Nyeri Court of Appeal, where he made 378 judgments.
Visram said, “I will jealously guard the independence of the judiciary and judges.”
The judge was taken to task over his rulings, some made more than 10 years ago.
He was asked why he awarded Sh15 million to politician Nicholas Biwott in a defamation case, yet he never gave huge awards to common wananchi.
Visram said he determined the damages in Biwott’s case based on the profit earned from the defamatory article and the magnitude of accusations levelled against the politician.
He assured Kenyans that he will not prevent freedom of speech.
Visram said he wants to build on former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga’s achievements.