Lady Justice Lydia Achode was on Tuesday appointed as the
new Principal Judge of the High Court of Kenya.
She replaces Richard Mwongo whose term came to an end after serving as Principal Judge for five years.
Achode was elected by other judges in an exercise conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission in Mombasa.
She garnered 43 votes out 80, beating her contestants, Justices Mary Kasongo and Asenath Ongeri.
She will oversee the overall administration and management of the court as well as ensure the orderly and prompt conduct of the business of the court.
Her other roles will be the formation of a bench, in consultation with the Chief Justice, among other duties as may be assigned by the CJ.
Lady Justice Achode's career began as a District Magistrate at the Kericho law court in 1986 and later rose through the ranks to become a Judge of the High Court in 2011.
Prior to her appointment as judge, she served as the Registrar of the High Court and the Accounting Officer for the Judiciary.
In 2016, Justice Achode was appointed by the CJ to serve as the deputy judge of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division of the High Court, established in 2015.
She has experience in Civil and Criminal Law and Procedure, Commercial Litigation, Taxation Law, as well as Gender and Family Law.
The Justice has routinely adjudicated on these areas of law for a period spanning over twenty years.
Justice Achode is also the Treasurer of the Kenya Women Judges Association.
She is the second Principal Judge elected under the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.