Kenya’s Lady Justice, Koome Martha Karambu, has made history after being nominated the first woman Chief Justice by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), as she is set to become the 15th Chief Justice of the country.
Emerging as the best out of 10 candidates, her nomination was announced by the JSC Chairperson, Prof. Olive Mugenda, and with her name submitted to President Uhuru Kenyatta for approval, the Court of Appeal Judge, Martha Koome, is expected to succeed Chief Justice David Maraga when vetted by the National Assembly.
Appreciating the moment, Judge Koome took to Twitter to announce her joy and zeal towards the future.
“I am deeply humbled and honored by the @jsckenya nomination to serve as Chief Justice. In my new role, I will continue to zealously represent the interest of all Kenyans as I have always done” she wrote.
In October 2020, Judge Koome received a boost in profile when she was given a runner-up award as UN Kenya Person of The Year 2020 by the United Nations (UN) in recognition of her advocacy for the rights of children in conflict and her advocacy of the rights of children in the Justice system.
Justice Koome’s legal education began with her obtaining an LL.B. from the University of Nairobi, before proceeding to the Kenya School of Law in 1987. She also holds an LL.M in Public International Law from the University of London.
