Ruto appoints Justice Mohamed Warsame to Supreme Court

President William Ruto has appointed Justice Mohamed Warsame to the Supreme Court.

The President made the appointment through a Gazette notice dated May 5.

He was nominated by the Judicial Service Commission on April 29, 2026, to fill the vacancy left by the late Justice Mohammed Ibrahim.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 166 (1) (b) of the Constitution of Kenya, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint Justice Mohamed Abdullahi Warsame to be Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya," the notice read.

On April 29, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) nominated Justice Mohamed Abdulahi Warsame for appointment to the Supreme Court of Kenya, following a competitive recruitment process to fill a vacancy that arose after the death of the late Justice Mohammed Kadhar Ibrahim.

Announcing the decision, the Commission said the selection process had been concluded after deliberations on candidates who had applied for the position of Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya.

The nomination now proceeds to the President for formal appointment in accordance with Article 166(1)(a) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.

The vacancy was declared on 13th January 2026 and subsequently advertised on 28th January 2026.

According to the Commission, six applications were received, and five candidates were shortlisted for interviews.

The interviews were conducted on 28th and 29th April 2026 at the Milimani Law Courts and were open to the public, with live broadcast coverage allowing members of the public to follow the proceedings in real time.

The Commission said the process was conducted in line with constitutional and statutory requirements and was guided by principles of merit, integrity, fairness, inclusivity and regional balance.

Before the interviews, the JSC engaged a wide range of stakeholders drawn from the legal profession, academia, civil society, faith-based organisations, the Judiciary, the media and government. Members of the public were also invited to submit information of interest relating to the candidates.

Comprehensive background checks and vetting were undertaken in collaboration with relevant constitutional bodies and security agencies.

Justice Mohamed Warsame holds a Bachelor of Law (LLB) from the University of Nairobi and a Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law.

Before his appointment to the Court of Appeal of Kenya in 2012, Justice Warsame served as a High Court Judge in the Commercial Division, Criminal Division and was also in charge of the Judicial Review Division of the High Court. Justice Warsame has an impressive record on the rate of clearance of cases in his court.

Hon. Justice Warsame has also served as the Chairman of the Community Service and Probation Committee. During his chairmanship, he released over 7,000 petty offenders from prisons all over the country.

Before his appointment to the High Court in 2003, he was a practising advocate of the High Court of Kenya. In 2013, he was elected as Commissioner to the JSC by the Court of Appeal Judges Pursuant to Article 171 (2) (c) of the Constitution of Kenya. Justice Warsame was a member of both the Finance and Administration and Human Resource Committees of the JSC.

Justice Warsame is involved in various charitable activities and organisations.