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Next Supreme Court judge? Six candidates eye key job
From top left: Joseph Sergon, Anne Makori, Warsame Mohammed, Kigen Katwa and Francis Tuiyott.
Six candidates have applied for the Supreme Court judge position, the Judicial Service Commission revealed.
The six include four judges: Justices Joseph Sergon (High Court), Warsame Mohammed (Court of Appeal), Kigen Katwa (Court of Appeal) and Francis Tuiyott (High Court). Other applicants are Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) chairperson Anne Makori and Ms Lillian Wachira.
“The JSC advertised one vacancy for the position of Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya on January 27, 2026. By closure of the advert on February 17, 2026, the Commission received a total of six applications,” a statement released Wednesday said.
The candidates will soon be shortlisted and interviewed.
JSC declared a vacancy in the Office of Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya following the death of Justice Mohamed Ibrahim in December 2025.
The vacancy, announced in a Special Issue of the Kenya Gazette, was declared under the Judicial Service Act and signed by Chief Justice Martha Koome, who also chairs the Commission.
Justice Ibrahim’s death created a rare opening at the apex court, which by law is composed of seven judges: the Chief Justice, the Deputy Chief Justice, and five other judges.
His passing reduced the court’s complement at a time when it continues to handle high-stakes constitutional disputes and matters of far-reaching national importance, including human rights and governance.
Under the Supreme Court Act and the Supreme Court Rules, any bench constituted to hear a matter must comprise an uneven number of judges.
Additional Report by Joseph Wangui
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