Katwa Kigen and Chacha Mwita take appellate posts in Nyeri, Kisumu

Judiciary/FILE

Katwa Kigen and Enock Chacha Mwita are among a new cadre of judicial officers whose placements across the country have taken effect as the Judiciary moves to operationalise fresh leadership following recent recruitment rounds that concluded weeks earlier.

The placements, emanating from a directive circulated by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), assign judges to appellate assignments in major stations, as the judiciary seeks to strengthen adjudication capacity nationwide.

Among the notable shifts is that of Justice Katwa Kigen, a senior legal practitioner recently elevated to the Court of Appeal, who has been assigned to Nyeri Station.

Justice Kigen was among 15 judges appointed to the Court of Appeal earlier this year following a rigorous national recruitment process led by the JSC.

That exercise drew dozens of applicants, reflecting the Judiciary’s aim to broaden its appellate bench from 27 to 42 judges.

At Kisumu, another recent appointee, Justice Chacha Mwita, has taken up station.

Justice Mwita, who previously headed the Constitutional and Human Rights Division of the High Court, brings substantial experience in complex rights-based litigation.

Another notable mention is Ahmed Isaack Hassan, who previously served as Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Chair, and has now been assigned to Nakuru Station.

Other placements from the recent announcement include established judicial officers assigned to courts in Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, Nakuru, Meru and other key stations.

For example, Justice Daniel Musinga, who currently serves as President of the Court of Appeal, sits in Nairobi Post, Court 1, working alongside Judges Kathurima M’inoti, Kibaya Laibuta and the newly appointed Justice Paul Lilan.

Justices Lucy Njuguna, Wanjiru Karanja, Omondi Hellen and Aggrey Muchelule were listed in assignments for Court 2, while judges such as Abdulahi Warsame and Luka Kimaru feature in Court 3 rotations.

Court 4 placements include Justices Milton Makhandia and Lessit Jessie, with Patrick Kiage and Jamila Mohammed among those in Court 5, and Professor Justice Joel Ngugi and Justice Chepkoech Ngetich in Court 6.

Outside the capital, the judiciary’s stations have each been allocated judicial teams comprising seasoned and newly elevated judges.

In Meru, names such as Gatembu Kairu and Hedwig Ong’undi anchor the bench.

Mombasa’s roster includes Francis Tuiyott and Grace Ngenye, while Kisumu’s judicial line-up further features Justices Pauline Nyamweya and Bryam Ongaya.

In Nakuru, the front benches have been strengthened with Judges John Mativo, and Eldoret courts now list Mwaniki Gachoka, Korir Weldon and Linnet Ndolo.

The announcement follows weeks after the JSC completed a thorough recruitment process for several judicial offices earlier this year—a process that included public advertisement of vacancies, vetting, interviews and merit-based assessments.

The recent placements signal the next step in mapping the new judicial personnel across the country’s stations to broaden access to justice and improve the administration of courts at all levels.