The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) on Wednesday, May 5, nominated Justice William Okelo Ouko to be the next Supreme Court Judge after an extensive week of interviews.
Following the nomination of the Supreme Court judge, his name will be presented to President Uhuru Kenyatta for appointment.
The commission interviewed six other candidates including; Justice Said Juma Chitembwe, Justice Marete Njagi, justice Matthews Nduma, Justice William Ouko, lawyer Alice Yano, Justice Sergon Joseph Kiplagat and Dr. Nyaberi Lumumba.
In a press briefing, JSC vice chairperson Olive Mugenda acknowledged that the commission had run an open, transparent and competitive recruitment process that had witnessed the participation of the public and key stakeholders.
"We take this opportunity to thank all the candidates who applied and participated in this process for their willingness to serve this Country through the vacant positions and the courage to be subjected to scrutiny through the interviews," JSC vice chairperson stated.
Asked by journalists why the announcement was hastened, Mugenda noted that the position had been vacant for a year and the commission did not see the need to wait longer.
Interestingly, Ouko was among candidates whose interviews were conducted earlier in the day on Wednesday.
Judicial Service Commission (JSC) Commissioner Macharia Njeru had praised Ouko for his humility and indicated that he was one of the leading candidates for the CJ position.
Humbled by the sentiments, Ouko attributed the quality to his upbringing and training.
"I have been taught to respect others and not talk at the top of my voice," he said.
Given the job, the 60-year-old vowed that he would use the same attributes to ensure that he went about his duties.
Ouko, who has been the appellate court boss since March 2018, will replace Judge Jackton Ojwang who retired in February 2020.
