Chief
Justice Martha Koome has announced the death of Court of Appeal Judge Fredrick
Ochieng Andago, describing him as a “towering figure” in Kenya’s legal
landscape.
Koome
further acknowledged Andago as a key contributor to the country’s commercial
law jurisprudence.
In a
statement, Koome, who also serves as the Chairperson of the Judicial Service
Commission (JSC), expressed deep condolences to Justice Andago’s family,
friends, colleagues, and the entire Judiciary community.
“We stand in solidarity with his family, friends, and the entire Judiciary community during this difficult period of mourning,” said Koome.
“We call for sensitivity and
compassion as we share in this collective grief.”
Andago began
his judicial career in 2003 as a Judge of the High Court, serving with
distinction across multiple divisions and regions, including the Civil
Division, Kitale, Kakamega, the Criminal Division, the Commercial and Admiralty
Division, and Kisumu.
In 2022, he
was elevated to the Court of Appeal, where he continued to contribute significantly
to Kenya’s jurisprudence.
Prior to his
appointment to the bench, Andago had an illustrious legal practice spanning
nearly two decades at the esteemed firm Kaplan & Stratton Advocates, where
he built a reputation as a seasoned advocate in commercial law.
At the time
of his passing, Andago was serving as the Chairperson of the Court Annexed
Mediation (CAM) Taskforce, a key initiative of the Judiciary aimed at promoting
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
The
taskforce has been at the forefront of implementing Court-Annexed Mediation, an
approach designed to ease case backlogs and enhance access to justice in line
with Article 159(2)(c) of the Constitution.
“He will be
fondly remembered as a towering figure in the development of Kenya's commercial
law jurisprudence and as a strong advocate for the promotion of alternative dispute
resolution,” said Koome.
Since its
introduction in 2016, Court-Annexed Mediation has evolved significantly.
Among its
milestones is the gazettement of the Court Annexed Mediation Rules, 2022, which
expanded the scope of mediation by including Private Mediation Agreements,
marking a shift toward more flexible and accessible dispute resolution
mechanisms
