For more than a month, interviews for Chief Justice and Deputy Chief have been serious, probing and at times ponderous.
Twenty-nine candidates were asked how to improve the image of the judiciary. They were quizzed on their judicial philosophy, past controversial rulings, integrity issues, the backlog of cases, what to do about corruption and how to handle presidential petitions.
Polygamy, traditional conflict resolution, inheritance, maintenance for men, abortion and homosexuality also featured.
Then on Wednesday there was laughter.
JSC member Winifred Guchu abruptly asked two candidates for Supreme Court judge which animal they would like to be if they lived in the wild.
Interviewers and applicants were caught by surprise.
She also asked which animals they don’t like.
There were an elephant, a lion and two cats. Hyenas and rats were despised.
'Elephant in the court room' Lenaola
Justice Isaac Lenaola would be an elephant.
Lenaola who heads the Human Rights Division at the High Court in Milimani, Nairobi, praised the jumbo's intelligence.
“Apart from intelligence, the enormous animal is always calm,” Lenaola said. He is also deputy presiding judge of the East African Community court.
He'd be the elephant in the courtroom. They say an elephant never forgets.
Candidates Imaana Laibuta and John Chebii (both scholars) would be cats.
Laibuta said: "A cat is loving and enjoys the warmth of everyone in a home."
"I love the cat because of its loving nature," Laibuta, who is physically challenged, said.
Nice, but do we want warm and fuzzy loving judges?
Chebii said a cat is “patient, calm and cautious. A cat approaches issues calmly," Chebii, a lecturer at Moi University, said.
Of course, cats are also notoriously independent free-thinkers, qualities much in demand.
Kimaru does not like rats
On Thursday, Guchu asked High Court judges Luka Kimaru and Joseph Sergon the opposite. Which animals would they not want to be?
Kimaru said: “I detest a rat, it’s nuisance at home.” No surprise there. He has likely encountered quite a few in courtrooms as well.
"It doesn't have attributes a human being likes," said Kimaru, head of the Criminal Appeals Commission in Milimani.
Sergon said he doesn’t like hyenas “since they are lazy.
"They wait for other animals to struggle and make a kill before eating leftovers,” he said.
Definitely not desirable qualities, but Sergon has undoubtedly encountered quite a few in and outside the judiciary.
He does like lions, though. Strong and, noble but also predators.
Oddball questions revealing
Why are “fun” or weird questions asked in job interviews?
In an interview yesterday, Guchu told the Star these questions shed light on the personality of the applicant. Asking the right questions is an interviewing skill that works in a panel, she said.
"It's a way of assessment," Guchu said, adding she couldn't comment on the cats, elephant, lion, rat and hyena, as interviews are ongoing.
Which animal would she choose to be? We don't know yet.
The menagerie may expand as the interviews continue next week.
Human Resources experts say unusual, out-of-the-blue questions enable them to judge thoughtfulness, imagination, humour and ability to think fast, clearly and score points.
"All the time there are direct, serious questions and people have prepped, they're prepared with serious answers," one HR expert at a Nairobi media company says.
"But all questions have a purpose," she adds, "and an unexpected question might catch someone off-guard and their answers might reveal something about their true self."
According to , there are no right or wrong answers. But the way you handle strange questions is very important.
"Fun interview questions test a number of things, your ability to think on your feet, creativity, ability to remain calm and considered and how you react to the unexpected," it says.
These questions can also break the ice, get people to relax and keep the discussion going.
"Acknowledge funny interview questions with a smile and pause to collect your thoughts before answering," the website advises.
It lists several funny questions that could have illuminating answers.
Say you are dead — what would your eulogy say about you?
Is there intelligent life in outer space?
If you were an ice cream, what flavor would you be?
Pepsi or Coke?
How would you get an elephant into a refrigerator?
If you were a brick in the wall which brick would you be?
What three items would you take to a desert island other than food and water?
What song best describes you?
How would people communicate in a perfect world?