After months of criticising Chief Justice Martha Koome, Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi has finally found something positive to laud her for.
The Senior Counsel has congratulated the CJ for opening the first High Court in Mandera, a move he says will enable people from the region to access justice.
Ahmednasir said Mandera, Wajir, Maralal and Lamu are 4 out of 47 counties that have over the years lived without a High Court.
"Great job Madam CJ for opening the High Court Registry in Mandera. Access to justice for historically marginalised ethnic communities should be prioritised by the CJ and the JSC," Ahmednasir said in a tweet.
Read More
"CJ should be congratulated for taking the final step to ensure these 4 counties will have a High Court. The ceremony is an epoch-defining moment and I, for one, must congratulate the judiciary and Madam CJ Koome for this history-making moment"
Seemingly in jest, however, Lawyer Ahmednasir faulted the CJ for not tagging him along for the launch of the Marsabit High Court.
He said as an accomplished legal professional from the North Eastern part of Kenya and a man of many firsts, he ought to be on the occasion that marks a key milestone in search of justice for people from the region.
"A serious CJ would have invited me to accompany her to my hometown and acknowledge me as being the First Somali from NEP admitted as Advocate of the High Court, conferred SC title, former Chairman of Law Society, a former member of the JSC," Ahmednasir said.
That said, Ahmednasir maintained that the launch of the High Court is a big milestone that should be celebrated.
He said the achievement has been made possible by the 2010 Constitution which he says has been a game changer in the country.
"When you contextualise this historic event in the context of the painful history of NFD with its long and torturous history of human rights abuse and emergency law, CJ Koome and the judiciary should be commended for storming the last fortresses that stood for 60 years in the way of those seeking justice," Ahmednasir said.
"This historic milestone should have captured the historic significance of this landmark event and celebrate it not as a news item but as a historic momentous event."
