The Court of Appeal judges, those of the Employment and Labour Relations Court, and the Environment and Land Court appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta have been sworn in today , June 4, 2021, at State House Nairobi.
The swearing in ceremony was presided over by Chief Justice Martha Koome in the presence of the Head of State.
Justices Mumbi Ngugi, Lesit Jessy Wanjiko, Jacob Kariuki, Kelly Jemimah, Mwaura Anne, Stella Ruto, Bernard Odongo, Kebira Ocharo, and Kitiku Agnes Mwen are among the newly appointed Court of Appeal judges.
Among the judges Sworn in is Justice Imaana Laibuta, who becomes the first blind judge.
President Kenyatta yesterday, June 3, caused a stir after he rejected six names of judges presented to him for appointments to the Court of Appeal.
Notable among the omissions were Justice George Vincent Odunga and Justice Joel Mwaura Ngugi.
The two were part of the five-judge High Court bench that declared the Constitution Amendment Bill 2020 otherwise known as the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) as unconstitutional.
The move by President Kenyatta to reject the six judges attracted criticism from several legal minds in the country, a majority questioning his allegiance to his oath of office as president and his disregard for implementation of the constitution through the judiciary.
CJ Koome was challenged by lawyers to reject the gazettement of the 34 names, and stand by the Judiciary.
“For Chief Justice Emeritus David Maraga, it was all 40 Judges or none, a stand supported throughout by LSK. Chief Justice Martha Koome has weakened the Judiciary by conceding to the rejection by Uhuru Kenyatta of four Judges and two Magistrates. No congratulations from me,” Law Society of Kenya President Nelson Havi tweeted.
