CJ Koome reshuffles labour court judges

Chief Justice Martha Koome when she chaired a meeting on the inaugural National Council on the Administration of Justice on July 16, 2021. 

Chief Justice Martha Koome has reshuffled judges of the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC) in a bid to clear case backlog.

The CJ also posted nine new judges appointed last month to the ELRC, with Nairobi which has a backlog of 8,852 cases getting four additional judges.

In the changes announced by the CJ, the court’s Principal Judge Maureen Onyango will remain stationed in Nairobi alongside Justices Monica Mbaru, Nzioki wa Makau, Mathews Nduma Nderi and James Rika.

They will be joined by Justice Linnet Ndolo who has been moved from Mombasa and the newly appointed judges Jacob Gakeri, Stella Ruto, Ocharo Kebira and Ann Mwaure.

The ELRC in Kericho will now have a full-time judge after the CJ posted Justice Onesmus Makau from Nakuru.

“The new changes consider the existing gaps and target court stations which need new judges to clear the case backlog in the ELRC,” said Koome in her statement.

In other changes, Justice Jemima Keli was posted to Bungoma, Agnes Kitiku to Mombasa, Bernard Matanga to Malindi, Christine Baari to Kisumu and David Nderitu to Nakuru.

Justice Byram Ongaya will remain in Mombasa, Justice D. Marete will continue serving in Nyeri while Justice Hellen Wasilwa will also continue serving in the Nakuru station.

Justices Nelson Abuodha and Stephen Radido will also continue serving in Eldoret and Kisumu respectively.

The CJ said the new deployments will take effect from August 1, with focus being to clear backlog in the ELRC across the country currently standing at 12,907 cases.