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CJ appoints judges who will swear in 47 governors
Chief Justice Martha Koome.
The Chief Justice (CJ) Martha Koome has appointed 47 judges who will preside over the swearing-in of governors who will be elected in Tuesday General Election.
In a memo released on Monday, the Judiciary boss said the exercise will take place immediately the winners of county seats are gazetted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
"The Assumption of Office of Governor Act, 2019 requires that upon election into the office of Governor and Deputy Governor, the Judiciary shall appoint judges to oversee the swearing-in of the Governor and Deputy Governor elect in accordance with the Act. In that regard, I hereby appoint the judges as per the schedule attached herein to conduct the swearing-in ceremony upon election and gazettement by the IEBC," said CJ Koome.
She added that the Judiciary Chief Registrar Anne Amadi has issued guidelines which will be used during the oath taking ceremony.
The move seemed to be aimed at ensuring that there is no delay in new county chiefs getting to office.
It also paves way for easy transition more so in counties where governors have served their maximum two terms of 10 years as stipulated by the Constitution.
This comes even as voters of Mombasa and Kakamega counties will not be electing their governors today after the IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati suspended the exercise in the two after mixed up in the ballot papers.
Public ceremony
Some of the judges who will preside over the swearing-in ceremony are: Lady Justices Aburili (Nairobi), Rachael Ngetich (Garissa, Dora Chepkwony (Kakamega), Lucy Njuguna, Justices George Dulu, David Majanja (Machakos), William Musyoka (Kisumu), Weldon Korir (Nakuru) and James Wakiaga (Nyeri).
The law states that the swearing-in of the Governor-elect shall occur in a public ceremony before a High Court Judge.
The county governor-elect should be sworn-in on the first Thursday after the tenth day following the declaration of the final results of the election of the county governor by IEBC.
“The Governor-elect shall, during the swearing-in ceremony, take and subscribe to the oath or affirmation of office as prescribed in the First Schedule section of the Assumption of the Office of Governor Act 2019. The oath or affirmation shall take place not earlier than 10.00 am and not later than 2.00 pm,” the law states.
Upon taking or subscribing to the oath or affirmation, the Governor shall sign a certificate of the inauguration in the presence of the High Court Judge who conducts the swearing-in ceremony.
