Chief Justice Martha Koome addresses delegates during the fourth National Conference on Alternative Justice Systems in Kenya held in Embu County. /FILEKenya Methodist University (KEMU) will confer an honorary Doctor of Letters degree on Chief Justice Martha Koome during its 26th graduation ceremony on November 7, 2026.
The university said the honour will be in recognition of her contribution to the administration of justice and protection of human rights.
In a public notice, the university said the award would recognise Koome’s distinguished contribution to the administration of justice, access to justice and the protection of the rights of women and children in Kenya.
“Kenya Methodist University is pleased to announce its intention to confer the degree of Doctor of Letters (D. Litt.) on Hon Justice Martha Karambu Koome during the 26th Graduation Ceremony,” the institution said.
The ceremony will be held at the university’s main campus in Meru.
Koome became Kenya’s first woman Chief Justice when she assumed office on May 21, 2021, taking over leadership of the Judiciary and the Supreme Court.
Since her appointment, she has led institutional reforms under the Judiciary’s Social Transformation through Access to Justice (STAJ) blueprint, which the university said had expanded access to judicial services and strengthened alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
Among the achievements highlighted by KEMU are the expansion of the Judiciary’s physical and digital footprint, including the nationwide rollout of electronic filing.
Other accolades include strengthening of court-annexed mediation and alternative justice systems; expansion of Small Claims Courts to accelerate the resolution of low-value civil and commercial disputes, and establishment of Gender Justice Courts for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and other vulnerable court users.
The university also cited Koome’s professional experience and leadership in several legal and judicial institutions as grounds for the recognition.
Prior to becoming Chief Justice, Koome served as a Judge of the Court of Appeal and the High Court, having previously practised as an advocate.
Her leadership roles have included serving as president of the Kenya Magistrates and Judges Association (KMJA) in 2019, a member of the African Union Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child from 2005 to 2010.
She also served as the chairperson of FIDA-Kenya from 1997 to 2003, and chaired the Bill of Rights Sub-Committee at the Bomas Constitutional Conference.
Koome also previously served as inaugural treasurer of the East Africa Law Society.
KEMU further took note of Koome's role in advancing the protection of children when she chaired the National Council on the Administration of Justice Special Taskforce on Children Matters, which drafted the Children Act, 2022.
Currently, Koome serves as president and chairperson of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and the National Council on the Administration of Justice, as well as vice chairperson of the Southern and Eastern Africa Chief Justices’ Forum.
Her other accolades include being runner-up for the UN Person of the Year in Kenya in 2020 and receiving the national honours of Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) and Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart (EGH).
Koome is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and has undertaken executive programmes at Harvard Kennedy School and Pepperdine University.
The university said it was proud to be associated with the Chief Justice through the honorary award.
