•He said he will also tackle the problem of under staffing of judiciary
•The 41 judges whose swearing in has never happened after President Uhuru Kenyatta expressed reservations, he said, should have been already working to ensure delivery of Justice to Kenyans.
Judge Njagi Marete has told Judicial Service commission he has record of working hard to clear 47 cases in a month and pleaded to be given CJ job.
He described himself as results oriented judge and a daring person during the search for the position of Chief Justice on Thursday.
Judge Marete who worked at Sheria house said due to his ability to deliver he was known as a celebrity.
"I was a celebrity in terms of performance at the Sheria house. If given the job I will ensure judiciary will fully go digital," he said.
He said he will also tackle the problem of under staffing of judiciary
The 41 judges whose swearing in has never happened after President Uhuru Kenyatta expressed reservations, he said, should have been already working to ensure delivery of Justice to Kenyans.
Marete said under his leadership he will engage in talks with executive to ensure judges are sworn in.
And if that fails he will go back to drawing board on next cause of action.
MORE JUDGES
Judge Njagi says the judiciary needs more judges to be able to clear the issue of backlog of cases.
"The issue of judges is a serious factor to be looked into where the judges are expected to do ground breaking jurisprudence when they have so many matters in some instances more than 30 judgements per month," he said.
He says he will use dialogue and diplomacy with the executive especially with the president to know why the judges cannot be sworn in.
“On my first day in office I will sit with the Chief Registrar of Judiciary and the Deputy Chief Justice so that we resolve the stalemate,” the judge said.
“Why would we not come up with a way forward with the CRJ and the deputy CJ in order to resolve the issue?"
He says the judiciary needs the 41 judges as soon as yesterday so that they can help clear the backlog of cases.
However, when asked by DCJ Philomena Mwilu on the years the current strategic plan covers, Judge Marete said he does not know.
The current strategic plan covers the years 2018 to 2021.
POLICE DRIVERS
Judge Marete said he has had trouble with his police drivers normally allocated to judges.
The officers he said, were too impatient and always left him.
“One lasted a day with me; another lasted a week while the best lasted three months. They are impatient I don’t know why they leave,” he said.
He explained to the JSC that he preferred always to have his civilian driver Peter Mwangi due to health issues and his disability.
The judge has visual disability and suffers from diabetes.
He raised the issue with judiciary requesting that they hire Mwangi as his driver.
Judiciary hired him on contract for a year but same was terminated and judge promised the matter will be reconsidered.
This never happened forcing the judge to pay for his own driver for four years, JSC was told.
He was also confronted on why he chose his spouse as his personal aide to which the judge answered that it is for medical considerations.
Judge Marete said he needs company every time due to his medical issues and that forced him take his spouse as an aide.