CJ David Maraga Approves Plan to hire 40 Judges

Chief Justice David Maraga, on Saturday, unveiled a plan to speed up the fight against corruption cases.

The CJ-led Judicial Service Commission (JSC) approved the recruitment of 40 judges to ease the shortage in courts.

In a meeting in Mombasa, the commissioners agreed to distribute the judges to cover courts; 20 in the Environment and Land Court, 11 in the Court of Appeal and 10 in the Employment and Labour court.

Speaking over the matter, TSC member Tom Ojienda confirmed the approval but disclosed that the commission was yet to call for applications from the public.

Judges from both the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal had retired in a span of three years but only the top three, former CJ Willy Mutunga, Former DCJ Kalpana Rawal and Justice Philip Tunoi, have been replaced.

Four Court of Appeal judges already retired with others expected to leave officers within two years.

This announcement comes shortly after AU Envoy Raila Odinga, President Uhuru Kenyatta and DPP Noordin Haji blamed JSC of slowing down the fight against corruption.

Raila accused the Judiciary system of being a stumbling block in the fight against corruption.

In July 2018, DPP Haji also accused the Judiciary of accepting bribes to deliver compromised rulings against his efforts to nab high profile criminals.

"If you have judicial officers who have been compromised and they rule against you, the argument will be the case was weak," stated Haji then.