Uhuru, Kibaki hail late Chief Justice Gicheru for judicial reforms

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his predecessor Mwai Kibaki have led the nation in mourning former Chief Justice Evan Gicheru.

The two said that Gicheru, the 12th Kenyan Chief Justice was a towering legal mind and highly accomplished judge.

In a message dated December 25, Chief Justice David Maraga confirmed the death of the 79-year-old former judge on Saturday morning. 

In his message, Uhuru said Kenya had lost a great leader whose contribution to the development of the legal sector especially the independence of the judiciary has continued to sharpen the country’s democracy.

“As a country, we will forever be grateful for the judicial reforms Justice Gicheru pushed through during his successful tenure as the top judge. He brought freshness to the legal system and will be remembered for his relentless fight against impunity and corruption in the corridors of justice," the President said.

He added that  Gicheru worked tirelessly during his time at the helm of the Judiciary to ensure that the country’s democracy continued to thrive.

"Having worked in different places within the civil service, the late Chief Justice knew the importance of having an independent judiciary as a guarantor of national peace and harmony,” the President eulogised.

On his part, Kibaki said that Gicheru was a consummate public servant whose integrity, sense of rectitude and assiduousness were unsurpassed.

"During his tenure as Chief Justice—between 2003 and 2011—the late Gicheru distinguished himself as a firm yet honourable and impartial overseer of the fullest extent of Kenya’s jurisprudential affairs,"

Kibaki said that in his many years of service in various capacities within Government, Gicheru espoused an uncontested and unwavering public-spiritedness for which he will be fondly remembered.

"The late Justice Gicheru leaves behind a richly bedecked legacy of service to the public wrought in humility and selflessness. May his soul rest in eternal peace,"  Gicheru said.

Deputy President William Ruto mourned Gicheru as a legal giant who served our country with dedication and distinction.

"He was humble yet a tough-minded leader who contributed immensely to the advancement of the independence of the Judiciary. A committed public servant, Justice Gicheru will best be remembered for his ground-breaking work in restoring the faith of the public and trust in our justice system," Ruto said.

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga said that he remembers Gicheru as a great legal mind and the man on whose shoulders we placed the burden of returning the country to the Rule of Law after the 2002 transition.

"He did his best under difficult circumstances. My thoughts and prayers are with his family," the opposition leader said.