Prof Patricia Kameri: Having a woman CJ should not be problematic

Prof Patricia Kameri Mbote is today facing the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) panel now in its second day of interviews.

Prof Mbote is among 10 candidates shortlisted for the position of Chief Justice.

She has practised law for over 30 years, having studied law at the University of Nairobi, the University of Warwick, the University of Zimbabwe and Stanford Law School where she earned her doctorate.

She has been a dean at the School of Law, the University of Nairobi and is also an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya. She was conferred the rank of Senior Counsel in 2012.

Prof Mbote is also among three women shortlisted for the position.

With an impressive CV, Mbote began by telling the panel on Tuesday morning what she intends to do should she is confirmed as Kenya’s next Chief Justice.

Panel: What unique qualities will you bring to this role?

Prof Mbote: Citing her responsibility as dean at the University of Nairobi and her role at Strathmore School of Law, she said: “I have trained judges for many years on environmental law, not just in Kenya but across East Africa. I do a lot of research and I’m widely published. I have a very deep understanding of the law and the way it moves.

Panel: What kind of a CJ will you be as a woman?

Prof Mbote: I was the first female law dean. People discouraged me from running for elections. Leadership is not gendered but men and women bring different values to leadership. I don’t think being a woman CJ should be problematic.

Asked about temperament, she responded: “I am calm. I am not easily rattled. And that in the end should be an added value to this role.”

On the stalemate of appointment of 41 judges, Prof Mbote said she would talk to President Uhuru to arrive at an amicable solution.

She also said she will encourage individual judges to use their mind and pen to paper. “To say that judges do not require training is set-up for failure,” Prof Mbote told the panelists.

Panel: Have you been engaged in the BBI process?

Prof Mbote: I was not involved in BBI at all. The reason I got in it was actually very unique. Someone approached me requesting for a scholar to read the BBI, and I agreed to do it. I have engaged in BBI in looking at certain how it affects certain constitutional provisions as a scholar and I’m currently advising parliament regarding it.

Panel: How will you deal with travel as the Chief Justice considering the culture we have for top leadership always out on duty?

Prof Mbote: I have done enough travel and Covid-19 has shown us that we can minimise on it. Travel is not going to be a problem. If I will be the Chief Justice, I will not travel as much because it is also time-consuming. Now I know that travel doesn’t make you productive.

The interviews for the new Chief Justice and president of the Supreme Court will run for two weeks, beginning at 9 am daily.

Yesterday, Justice Juma Chitembwe was the first candidate to face the panellists.

Other candidates are Lady Justice Martha Koome, Justice Marete Njagi, Philip Kipchirchi Murgor, Justice Nduma Nderi, Senior Counsel Fredrick Ngatia, William Ouko, Moni Wekesa and Alice Jepkoech. 

Out of 133 applicants, only 10 met the minimum statutory requirements for the CJ position.