Editor's Review

  • A petition has been filed in the High Court seeking for the removal of two Judicial Service Commissioners; Prof Olive Mugenda and Patrick Gichuhi.

A petition has been filed in the High Court seeking for the removal of two Judicial Service Commissioners; Prof Olive Mugenda and Patrick Gichuhi barely two weeks before interviews for Chief Justice and Judge of the Supreme Court commence.

In two petitions filed by Philip Muchiri, Damaris Ndirangu, and Samuel Wanjiru, the petitioners claim that commissioners are sitting in the commission illegally and should be removed.

In the petition against Prof Mugenda, the petitioner argues that she holds two state offices which is contrary to the law.


In addition to being a JSC commissioner, Prof Mugenda chairs Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral, and Research Hospital board.

In the other petition, Commissioner Gichuhi is accused of illegally representing the Public Service Commission in the JSC despite being ousted in 2019.

"... he is not qualified to be the representative of the Public Service Commission on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) but he continues masquerading as such," the petition read in part.

Meanwhile, JSC is set to start interviewing shortlisted applicant for the position of Chief Justice and Judge of the Supreme Court.

Some of the names being fronted as possible front runners in the CJ post include; Justice Martha Koome, Justice Marete Njagi, Senior Counsels Philip Murgor and Fred Ngatia, Justice Nduma Nderi, and Justice William Ouko.