The National Intelligence Service has blacklisted four High Court judges that Chief Justice David Maraga had forwarded to President Uhuru Kenyatta for promotion to the court of appeal.
The four are said to be at the heart of the standoff between the executive and the judiciary.
Reports by The Standard indicated the Justices Joel Ngugi, Aggrey Muchelule, Mumbi Ngugi and Francis Tuiyott were among the 12 candidates (nine judges and three lawyers) that the NIS blacklisted on July 5, 2019, with providing any supporting documentation.
The spy agency led by Major General Philip Kameru cleared 23 other candidates for interviews.
The Mombasa road publication further reported that the Judicial Service Commission secretary Anne Amadi on July 9 wrote to the NIS seeking more information on why they had blacklisted the candidates so as to offer them a chance to defend themselves.
It further alleged that on July 21 Major Kameru himself responded to the request by telling the JSC that the agency was not willing to share the information on why they had barred the 12 candidates.
According to the JSC, the move came as a surprise to then as they claimed to have followed the due process in the recruitment of the candidates including seeking clearance from the EACC and the KRA.
It further claimed that the duty of the president in the hiring of judges was merely ceremonial and malise the appointment of persons nominated by the JSC.
The head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua wrote to the JSC stating that the president had adverse reports against some of the candidates.
"The president has received adverse reports in regards to some of the persons recommended for appointment as judges after the Names of the said judges were published in the media. The president believes that the JSC ought to have considered the information while arriving at the recommendation," Kinyua wrote.
