President Kenyatta appoints 7 new Court of Appeal Judges

President Uhuru Kenyatta has appointed seven judges to the the Court of Appeal following interviews by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

The new Appellate Court judges include Justices Kimaru Luka Kiprotich, Achode Lydia Awino, Mativo John, and Ochieng Frederick Andago.

Others include Justices Ngenye Grace Wangui and Aroni Abida Ali, and lawyer Paul Mwaniki.

The seven were listed in a Gazette Notice dated July 19 . 

The appointment of the seven judges brings to 26 the total number of judges at the second highest court in the county.The Constitution provides for a maximum of thirty Court of Appeal judges.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 166(1)(b) of the constitution of Kenya, l Uhuru Kenyatta, President and the Commander in Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces appoint Kimaru Luka Kiprotich, Gachoka Paul Mwaniki, Achode Lydia Awino, and Ochieng Frederick Andago, Mativo John Mutinga, Ngenye Grace Wangui and Aroni Abida Ali to be judges of the Court of Appeal,” read the gazette notice signed by President Kenyatta.

The announcement comes barely a week after JSC forwarded the seven names to the President on July 13, hours after concluding interviews.

Through a statement, Chief Justice Martha Koome said that the seven were selected after meeting all the set requirements following the interviews that commenced on June 27.

“After lengthy deliberate and careful consideration of the performance of the various candidates and based on the Constitutional imperative of merit, gender, regional balance, affirmative action and public interest, the JSC recommended their appointment,” CJ Koome said.