Judges interviewed after recruitment suspension lifted

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is set to begin interviews for the appointment of Judges of the Court of Appeal today, reports the Kenyan Star. The recruitment process is aimed at filling 15 vacancies in the country’s second-highest court. According to a statement from the commission, a total of 35 candidates have been shortlisted and will be interviewed. The interviews will be conducted in public and streamed live on YouTube and Facebook, in line with the JSC’s commitment to transparency and public participation in judicial appointments. Among those shortlisted are several prominent legal figures, including Independent Policing Oversight Authority chairperson Ahmed Hassan, High Court judge Chacha Mwita and veteran lawyer Katwa Kigen. Other notable candidates include Environment and Land Court Presiding Judge Oscar Angote and High Court Justices Joseph Sergon, Yuvinalis Angima, Hedwig Ong’udi, Onesmus Makau, Nduma Nderi, Samson Okongo and Edward Muriithi. The interviews will begin with Professor Migai Akech. The shortlisted candidates comprise 19 serving High Court judges and 15 advocates drawn from private practice and academia.

The Court of Appeal recruitment is part of a wider judicial hiring exercise that also includes positions for 20 High Court judges, 10 judges of the Environment and Land Court, 100 Resident Magistrates and five Kadhis, according to the Kenyan Star. The recruitment drive follows the lifting of a suspension on judicial appointments that had been imposed in January 2025 due to budget cuts by the National Treasury, which significantly constrained the judiciary’s operational funding and staffing plans. According to the JSC, the ongoing recruitment is intended to address staffing gaps and improve the efficiency of the courts, particularly at the appellate level, where case backlogs remain a concern. Successful candidates from the interviews will be recommended to the President for formal appointment.

Full report in the Kenyan Star