The Judicial Service Commission has settled on Justice David Maraga for the position of new Chief Justice.
Justice Maraga was among the 11 applicants who were interviewed by the commission out of 13 after two withdrew.
The nominee during his interview said he would name a senior judge as the Judiciary ombudsman and revive the programme for helping the poor with court cases if appointed the new Chief Justice.
Those interviewed were Justice Alnashir Visram, Justice Amraphael Msagha Mbogholi, Mr Nzamba Kitonga, Justice Roselyn Nambuye, Justice Smokin Wanjala, Justice (rtd) Aaron Ringera, Daniel Wambura, Justice Jackton Ojwang, Lucy Wanja Julius, Prof Makau Mutua and Justice David Maraga.
Here is his short profile:
Justice David Kenani Maraga, 64, is the Presiding Judge of the Court of Appeal in Kisumu. He was appointed to the High Court in October2003 and to the Court of Appeal in 2011. A holder of both an LL.B and an LL.M from the University of Nairobi, he also chairs the Judiciary Committee on Elections tasked with overseeing election petition hearings that may arise after the 2017 elections within the prescribed period in the constitution. He successfully underwent the vetting board fending off accusations of tribalism and bribery seeking and was unanimously endorsed to continue to serve in 2012. An avowed Seventh Day Adventist, he startled the board proceedings when he invoked God’s name loudly and went on to swear that he had never taken a bribe in his life.
