Senior Counsel Fred Ngatia among those to be quizzed this week

Lawyer Fred Ngatia

Lawyer Fred Ngatia, who is one of the candidates for the Chief Justice post.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

The interviews for the final five candidates for the vacant position of the Chief Justice resume Monday.

First before the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) on Monday will be High Court judge Mathews Nduma Nderi. He will be followed by lawyer Fred Ngatia on Tuesday, Justice William Ouko on Wednesday, Prof Moni Wekesa on Thursday and Ms Alice Yano will wrap up the two-week interviews on Friday.

The commission shortlisted 10 candidates hoping to succeed retired Chief Justice David Maraga, who left early this year having attained the mandatory retirement age of 70. He served as Chief Justice for four years.

In the first week, the JSC interviewed five candidates, with a candidate per day beginning last Monday. Those who have been interviewed are High Court judge Said Juma Chitembwe, university don Prof Patricia Kameri-Mbote, Court of Appeal judge Martha Koome, High Court judge Njagi Marete, and lawyer Philip Murgor.

The conclusion of the interviews will usher in another week of interviews to fill a vacancy in the Supreme Court left by Justice Jackton Ojwang’ who retired in 2020.

Among the nine shortlisted candidates for the position of judge of the Supreme Court are six candidates, who have also applied to be Chief Justice. They are Justices Ouko, Koome, Chitembwe, Marete, Nderi, and Ms Yano.

Other candidates for the judge of the Supreme Court are Court of Appeal judge Kathurima M’Inoti and Dr Nyaberi Lumumba.