Activist wants CJ interviews stopped
By Mourice Seretta
An activist has moved to court seeking an order to stop the ongoing Judicial Service Commission (JSC) Kenya recruitment interviews for a new Chief Justice.
Memba Ocharo through his lawyers, Danstan Omari and Shadrack Wambui says the candidates who have been interviewed so far have admitted that they did not fill the wealth declaration form as required by law and that the vetting process has fallen way below the constitutional threshold.
Ocharo says the five candidates interviewed so far, Prof. Patriciah Mbote, appellate Judge Martha Koome, Justice Saidi Chitembwe and justice David Njagi Marete have publicly admitted during their interviews that they did not fill wealth declaration forms as required by law.
He further questioned why the interviews are being chaired by Prof. Olive Mugenda in open defiance and insubordination of the constitution and the statutory dictate that demand JSC affairs should either be chaired by the Chief Justice or his deputy.
The file will be placed before a vacation judge Justice Weldon Korir for directions.
The JSC is grilling the candidates for the position of Chief Justice and nine others for the position of Supreme Court Judge in a process that will end later this month.
The ten candidates cleared for CJ interviews are Justice Said Chitembwe, Prof. Patricia Mbote, Justice Martha Koome, Justice Marete Njagi, Philip Murgor, Justice Nduma Nderi, Fred Ngatia, Justice William Ouko, Prof. Wekesa Moni and Alice Yano.
Under the law, the JSC nominates the best three candidates for the position of Chief Justice.
They are vetted by the National Assembly.
If all three are found suitable to serve, their names are forwarded to the President who shall pick one.
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