Africa News of Wednesday, 19 May 2021
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta has affirmed the appointment of the first woman Chief Justice in the history of the country.
Before the presidential affirmation, she has appeared before the National Assembly and had her nomination passed by lawmakers.
Till her appointment, Judge Martha Koome, was a Court of Appeal judge who emerged as the best candidate out of ten contenders interviewed by the Judicial Service Commission in April.
Her selection was announced by Kenya’s Judicial Service Commission on Tuesday, April 27.
During her interview, held on April 14, Koome was asked to imagine the challenges she would face if chosen Kenya’s first female Chief Justice, and illustrate how she would manage them.
In response, she said: “I believe the challenges are similar whether a male or female CJ. It will be historic for the Commission to nominate a woman for the Office of [the] Chief Justice. Leadership is gender-neutral.
"It doesn’t require a man or woman. It is skills that will deal with the challenges we face. You need managerial skills because you will be overseeing various things. As a lady, I appreciate that everybody brings something to the table.”
Kenya: President Kenyatta appoints Justice Martha Koome as Chief Justice. pic.twitter.com/H61DsL0FZ9
— Samira Sawlani (@samirasawlani) May 19, 2021
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY approves nomination of Justice Martha Koome as Chief Justice; approval sent to President Kenyatta for formal appointment. pic.twitter.com/KactrfwREF
— Nation Breaking News (@NationBreaking) May 19, 2021