President Uhuru Kenyatta has today, April 28, 2021, submitted the name of Lady Justice Martha Koome to Parliament for approval, in line with Article 166 of the Constitution.
Koome was nominated by the Judicial Service Commission following successful interviews to fill the role of Chief Justice.
Her name was forwarded by the JSC to President Kenyatta, yesterday, April 27.
Lady Justice Koome will be vetted by the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee and issue a report after 28 days.
National Assembly Speaker Justine Muturi urged members of the committee to expedite the process on appeal of the Head of State.
“The committee is requested to consider the nomination on a priority basis,” Muturi said.
If the committee upholds her nomination under Article 1(2)(h), she will be appointed Chief Justice, within three days of the President receiving the notification from the National Assembly.
If she is rejected, the President shall, within three days after receiving the notification from parliament, submit the name of a new nominee to the National Assembly and the provisions of this subsection shall apply with necessary modifications with respect to the new nominee.
After the name has been returned to the president, the nominee will then be sworn in to fill the vacancy.
Koome has 33 years of experience in legal practice under her belt and a significant portion of those years has been in public service as a defender of human rights.
Following her nomination, Koome expressed gratitude to the commission, stating that it is a great honour and privilege to serve as the country's next Chief Justice.
"I appreciate this was after a thorough, rigorous and a very competitive process that saw some of the best legal minds come forward as capable candidates demonstrating their willingness to serve Kenyans," Koome stated.
"As I continue to prepare for the next stage, I wish to convey my profound gratitude to all well-wishers who encouraged and prayed for me. I continue to thank God and seek your prayers as I go through the confirmation process," she added.
She assured Kenyans of her unwavering commitment, promising to serve to the best of her ability.
If sworn in, Koome will be the first woman to be Chief Justice in Kenya. This is the second time that Koome is seeking to become the Chief Justice.
