Chief Justice David Maraga has mourned the late Environment and Lands court Judge Samuel Mukunya describing him as an outstanding jurist.
The Supreme Court president, in his official twitter handle, said he had learnt of the judge's demise with great sadness.
The CJ said Mukunya was a personal friend of many years. "Heartfelt condolences to his family and friends," Maraga said.
Mukunya died following a midnight road crash in Nyeri county. Until his death, he worked at the High Court in Kerugoya.
Also read:
Nyeri base commander Castarais Mugo told the press on Friday that the judge was driving towards Mweiga at the time he met his untimely death.
Mukunya joined the Judiciary in 2015 and was posted to the Bungoma Environment and Lands Court before being moved to Kerugoya.
He had served an Advocate of the High court for a long time and also as a judge of the Interim Independent Constitutional Dispute Resolution Court (IICDRC) in 2010.
"I have known him since our days at the University of Nairobi and I always admired his sense of duty and hard work. I had the privilege of working closely with him when I practiced as a lawyer in Nakuru and he operated a branch of his law firm there," Maraga said.
He added that Justice Mukunya was "humble yet very knowledgeable and always ready to serve."
"He was well liked within the legal fraternity. His sudden death is a big loss not only to his family but to the Judiciary and the country as a whole."
"On behalf of Judicial Service Commission and on my own behalf, I wish to extend our deepest condolences to his dear wife Nancy and their children, the rest of the family, the Judiciary and the Kenyan people whom he served with great dedication," Maraga added.
One of Mukunya's latest decisions was when he ordered the revocation of the title deed of land belonging to cane farmers that had been allocated to a sugar firm in Bungoma.
The ruling put to rest the six-year legal battle on the ownership of the 843-acre Nasewa nucleus estate which was given to Busia Sugar Company by the locals.
The case followed after Mumias Sugar Company (MSC) laid claim to the estate on grounds that the firm owed it Sh100 million.