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Martha Koome confirmed as Kenya’s first female Chief Justice
Koome becomes the first woman in Kenya’s history to hold the position
Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has confirmed Martha Koome as the country’s new Chief Justice.
Koome will head the Judiciary for a non-renewable 10-year term, she succeeds David Maraga who retired in January.
Kenya’s National Assembly on Wednesday morning unanimously approved her nomination, paving the way for her swearing-in.
The president had forwarded her name to parliament for approval on April 28 after she beat 9 other candidates including judges, prominent lawyers in private practice and law scholars.
During her vetting by the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee, Koome had pledged to restore harmony and end bad blood among the country’s Judiciary, Executive and Legislature.
She joined the country’s High Court in 2003 and served in several stations, before she was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2011. Last year, she was named United Nations (UN) Kenya Person of the Year 2020 in recognition of her advocacy for the rights of children in conflict.
Koome, 61, becomes Kenya’s third Chief Justice after the passing of the new Constitution in 2010. She has the option of retiring after attaining the age of 65.