- The Judicial Service Commission is said to be quietly inviting applicants allegedly shortlisted for the 336 internal vacancies.
- The JSC is also seeking to promote 172 serving magistrates and Kadhis to higher ranks.
Image: FILE
Disquiet is rising in the Judiciary over the selection of staff for appointment to hundreds of internal jobs advertised last year.
The Judicial Service Commission, the employer of Judiciary staff, is said to be inviting applicants shortlisted for the 336 internal vacancies.
Reports that the JSC has sent out SMSs and mailed letters to applicants for interviews has triggered an uproar among staff.
Registrar of the Judiciary Anne Amadi was not available when the Star sought her comment.
The interviews are lined up to start next month but some staffers say the direct mailing depicts lack of transparency and shrouds the process in a cloud of secrecy.
Staff who spoke to the Star said this was a departure from JSC's tradition of placing open notices for shortlisted applicants.
“The jobs were internally advertised through an internal memo. What would have followed would have been another internal memo with the shortlisted applicants and the interview schedules,” a staffer said.
The officer who sought anonymity to avoid reprisals said most staff members had been taken aback by the opaque process that might unfairly lock out qualified candidates.
“The messages and mails are to select staff. We don't know how and when that started being the procedure,” he said.
The commission, which has been grappling with budget cuts, advertised for the appointments through an internal memo dated November 19, 2019.
According to the advert, the JSC was to appoint 10 senior court administrators in job group JSG4, 62 court administrators in job group JSG5 and 95 court administrators in grade JSG6.
The JSC was also to hire 25 senior accounts assistant in job grade JSG 7 and 144 accounts assistants in job group JSG8.
The successful applicants will be deployed to the Court o Appeal, Milimani courts, courts in subclasses ABCD and tribunals.
The JSC has published interview schedules for promotion of 172 magistrates and Kadhis starting on August 3 to August 12.
“The Judicial Service Commission approved appointments of staff to fill positions listed below as per the attached internal advertisement,” read the internal memo to all Judiciary staff dated November 19, 2019.
The memo was signed by the Registrar of the Judiciary Anne Amadi who is also the secretary to JSC.
“All staff serving in different capacities, with relevant qualification and experience are encouraged to apply,” Amadi said.
Edited by Henry Makori