Leaders have joined the nation in mourning the death of Supreme Court Judge Mohammed Ibrahim.
Justice Ibrahim passed away on Wednesday, December 17, shortly after 4.30 pm, after battling illness.
Sources close to the family said Justice Ibrahim had been receiving treatment in an Intensive Care Unit in India, but doctors advised that he be returned home to Kenya for his final days.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula mourned the Judge, saying he led a highly decorated career in the legal industry.
Wetang’ula said Justice Ibrahim will be remembered for his active role in bringing social justice and fighting for minority groups in the country.
“I am saddened to learn of the demise of Hon. Justice Mohammed Ibrahim, Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya, after a long illness. Hon. Ibrahim was one of the inaugural judges of the Supreme Court of Kenya with a highly decorated career in the legal industry spanning over 34 years,” he said.
“He will be remembered for his active role in bringing social justice and fighting for minority groups to have equal rights, and often offered pro bono services. His loss is a monumental one for the legal industry and the Judiciary at large.”
Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) secretary general Francis Atwoli mourned the Jurist saying his legal career has helped lay a strong jurisprudence on rights and constitutionalism.
“I have just learnt of the death of Justice Ibrahim Mohammed, who is a Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya. His 14 years at the Supreme Court have helped lay a strong jurisprudence on rights and constitutionalism, and as Kenyan workers, we have lost a man whose heart was after social justice. May God rest him in eternal peace!” He said.
Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka mourned the death of Supreme Court Judge Ibrahim, describing him as a guardian of the Constitution and a patriot who served Kenya with distinction.
Kalonzo noted that for more than 14 years, the judge played a critical role in laying the foundation of Kenya’s constitutional democracy.
He said Justice Ibrahim’s judicial journey through the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court was marked by quiet brilliance and unwavering principle, particularly in complex constitutional, commercial, and human rights matters.
Kalonzo recalled Justice Ibrahim’s role in some of the most consequential disputes in Kenya’s democratic history, including the 2017 presidential election petition, cases touching on devolution, and questions of judicial independence.
“I recall his voice during the most consequential disputes our young democracy has faced. In the historic 2017 presidential petition, in matters of devolution, and in questions of judicial independence, Justice Ibrahim held firm when others wavered,” he said.
“He chose principle over expediency, reminding us that the Constitution is a covenant between the State and its people and that judges are its custodians, not its masters.”
Kalonzo also described Justice Ibrahim as a humble and faithful man who mentored younger lawyers and judges, serving not for recognition but out of a belief in a fairer and more just Kenya.
“He served not for recognition, but because he believed Kenya could be better, fairer, and more just. Today, Kenya has lost a guardian of the Constitution and a patriot in the truest sense. His legacy lives on in the institutions he strengthened and the example he left. Today, Kenya has lost a guardian of the Constitution,” Kalonzo said.
Justice Ibrahim was appointed to the Supreme Court of Kenya on June 16, 2011, becoming one of the court’s founding judges following the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution.
From the outset, he played a central role in shaping the jurisprudence, institutional culture, and public-facing mandate of the country’s apex court during a formative period for constitutional democracy.
Within the Supreme Court, Justice Ibrahim held extensive administrative and governance responsibilities.
He served as Chairperson of the Judiciary Committee on Elections, a role that placed him at the heart of judicial preparedness and oversight during electoral cycles, an especially sensitive and consequential area in Kenya’s constitutional order.
He also oversaw the establishment of the Court’s ad hoc Committee on Elections, strengthening internal coordination and accountability.
