It's Time for a Woman Chief Justice, Charity Ngilu Says

Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu has called for the appointment of a woman as the country’s next Chief Justice.

In a statement on Thursday, Ngilu stated that there could never be a better moment to have the first-ever female head of the Judiciary -one of the three arms of government.

“There could never be a better moment to have the first woman chief justice in this country than right now,” Ngilu noted.

With the other two arm s of the government (Executive and Legislature) headed and deputized by men, Governor Ngilu reckons that it is time to have a woman heading the Judiciary.

“…since the promulgation of the 2010 constitution, the trend has been to have women deputize men as Chief Justice. It’s now time to have a woman leading the Judicial arm of government,” she added.

She argued that selecting a woman Chief Justice would be a great stride towards the inclusion of women in “high table conversations to shape the future of the country.”

“We note that highly qualified, competent, and experienced women candidates are being interviewed for the position of Chief Justice,” said Ngilu.

“Having women at the high table must not be an afterthought, a favor, or an act of magnanimity and tokenism. It must be an active ingredient in crafting the development framework of this nation.”

Among the 10 candidates shortlisted for the position of Chief Justice, only three are women. They are Justice Martha Koome, Patricia Mbote, and Alice Yano.