Koome leads tribute to Justice Frederick Ochieng at 'closing of file' ceremony

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Martha Koome, Court of Appeal President Justice Daniel Musinga, Court of Appeal Judge and JSC Commissioner Fatuma Sichale, Employment and Labour Relations Court Principal Judge Monica Mbaru and Environment and Land Court Principal Judge Oscar Angote during the closing of file proceedings held in honour of the late Justice Frederick Ochieng, Judge of Appeal /HANDOUT

Chief Justice Martha Koome on Thursday led the Judiciary and members of the legal fraternity in honouring the late Court of Appeal Judge Frederick Ochieng during closing of file proceedings held in Nairobi.

Justice Ochieng, who died in September 2025, was remembered as a distinguished jurist, a champion of mediation and alternative dispute resolution, and a judge who upheld fairness and integrity throughout his judicial career.

The proceedings were presided over by CJ Koome alongside Court of Appeal President Daniel Musinga, Court of Appeal Judge and Judicial Service Commission commissioner Fatuma Sichale, Employment and Labour Relations Court Principal Judge Monica Mbaru and Environment and Land Court Principal Judge Oscar Angote.

In her tribute, Koome described Justice Ochieng as a judge who served with fidelity and courage while dispensing justice with fairness and dignity.

“He served with fidelity, upheld the Constitution with courage, dispensed justice with fairness, and treated all who came before him with dignity,” Koome said.

The Chief Justice said Justice Ochieng joined the Judiciary in 2003 as a High Court judge after close to two decades in private legal practice at Kaplan and Stratton Advocates.

She noted that his experience in commercial and civil litigation shaped his judicial approach and enabled him to deliver well-reasoned decisions throughout his tenure on the bench.

Koome said the late judge served in several stations and divisions of the High Court, including Kitale, Kakamega, Kisumu, the Criminal Division and the Commercial and Admiralty Division in Nairobi.

“In every station, he left an indelible mark not only through the judgments he delivered, but also through the manner in which he conducted proceedings with fairness, intellectual rigour, humility and sensitivity to the human dimensions of legal conflict,” she said.

The Chief Justice further described Justice Ochieng as one of the leading figures in Kenya’s commercial law jurisprudence and praised his efforts in promoting alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

“At the time of his passing, he was serving as chairperson of the Court-Annexed Mediation Taskforce, where he was leading the nationwide implementation of one of the Judiciary’s most transformative access-to-justice initiatives,” Koome said.

She said his work in mediation helped expand access to justice by encouraging peaceful and people-centred resolution of disputes.

Koome also paid tribute to the late judge’s personality, describing him as warm, humble and approachable despite his sharp legal mind.

“Justice Ochieng possessed the rare gift of making a courtroom feel less like an arena of confrontation and more like a forum for reasoned resolution,” she said.

“He was courteous to litigants, attentive to detail and unwaveringly fair.”

Other speakers during the proceedings described Justice Ochieng as a respected advocate, mentor and judicial officer who used the law as an instrument for social transformation.

They praised his well-researched judgments, humility and dedication to strengthening the administration of justice in Kenya.

Speakers also noted that he remained committed to mentoring younger lawyers and judges while championing reforms aimed at improving efficiency within the Judiciary.

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, who attended the proceedings, described Justice Ochieng as a brilliant legal mind, a hardworking judge and a devoted family man.

The closing of file proceedings marked the formal conclusion of the late judge’s judicial service and celebrated his contribution to Kenya’s legal and constitutional development.