Court of Appeal judges to start sitting outside Nairobi

In Summary

• The judges had stopped sitting outside the city in 2019 due to understaffing.

• The judges will have a backlog of cases to handle which grew from 4,000 to 8,000 in a span of two years.

Chief Justice Martha Koome Karambu on her first day of Office at the Supreme Court on May 24, 2021.
Chief Justice Martha Koome Karambu on her first day of Office at the Supreme Court on May 24, 2021.
Image: FILE

Chief Justice Martha Koome announced Court of Appeal judges will resume handling cases at different stations outside Nairobi.

The judges had stopped sitting outside the city in 2019 due to understaffing.

The judges will have a backlog of cases to handle which grew from 4,000 to 8,000 in a span of two years.

Following the gazettement of 34 judges by President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Appellate court now has 20 judges, up from 13.

It is recommended the court has a minimum of 15 and maximum of 30 judges.

Meanwhile, Koome reiterated her call for the six judges omitted from the list of those gazetted to be appointed.

Speaking during the swearing-in of Daniel Musinga as the president of the Court of Appeal, she said the moment was bitter-sweet, because four judges - who were to be appointed to the Appellate court - were not present for reasons not known to her.

"I'm a judge and I do not want to enter into any controversy but I'm duty bound to reiterate this position and call on (President) Uhuru to appoint the remaining six judges," she said.

Koome said the Judiciary is in danger of capture from agencies as well as "people I shall not name".

Uhuru declined to gazette the names of six judges citing integrity issues.

Aggrey Muchelule, George Odunga, Weldon Korir and Joel Ngugi were to serve in the Appellate court but their names were not gazetted.

Uhuru gazetted the names of 34 judges.

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