Justice Gatembu Kairu has been elected the new President of the Court of Appeal after securing a decisive victory in elections held by judges of the appellate court.
Justice Kairu garnered 26 votes out of the 41 ballots cast, emerging ahead of fellow candidates Lady Justice Lydia Achode, Justice Patrick Kiage and Lady Justice Agnes Murgor.
His election marks a significant leadership transition at the country's second-highest court and places him at the helm of the Court of Appeal at a time when the judiciary continues to handle complex constitutional, electoral and public interest matters.
The election was conducted in accordance with the judiciary's internal procedures for selecting the head of the appellate court.
The President of the Court of Appeal is responsible for providing administrative and judicial leadership to judges serving in the court and plays a key role in the management of appeals across the country.
Justice Kairu's victory follows a competitive race involving some of the judiciary's most experienced appellate judges.
The term of Justice Daniel Musinga as President of the Court came to an end on May 24, 2026, having served for a non-renewable term of five years.
Justice Kairu, born in July 1960, holds a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from Boston University, obtained in 1990, a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi (1984) and a Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law (1985).
Before joining the Judiciary, he worked as a legal assistant at Hamilton Harrison & Mathews Advocates and later as an associate at Kimani Kairu & Company Advocates.
He co-founded Kairu & McCourt Advocates in 1993 and remained a partner until 2009, when he transitioned into full-time arbitration and mediation.
Justice Kairu joined the Judiciary in 2012 after being appointed a judge of the Court of Appeal following a competitive recruitment process conducted by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Prior to that, he lectured at the University of Nairobi School of Law from 1990.
