Macharia Njeru Trounces Tom Ojienda Emerging as LSK’s Male Representative to JSC

Former IPOA chairman Macharia Njeru, a Senior Advocate of the High Court of Kenya has been elected Law Society of Kenya’s (LSK) male representative to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

In hotly contested elections, he defeated Professor Tom Ojienda who had a quest to retain the seat. Macharia emerged with 2,738 votes and Prof. Tom Ojienda came in second with 2,545 votes.

Charles Mong’are Ongoto  got 123 votes.

LSK through its Twitter feed congratulated Macharia and said they look forward to his contribution.

“We celebrate you and look forward to your contribution. Congratulations.”

In his acceptance, Macharia said, “I accept this win with humility and promise to serve all lawyers with diligence, respect, and accountability. I will work with the society to restore dignity and respect to our profession.”

Over 10,185 lawyers across the country participated in the exercise. The elections took place in 36 polling stations (law courts) across the country conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

The contesting candidates include Njeru Macharia, Professor Tom Ojienda and lawyer Charles Ongoto.

READ:

• Will LSK’s Male Representative to JSC be another two-horse race?

Macharia will serve as a JSC commissioner for five years up to 2024.

The Commission consists of the following 11 members:

The Chief Justice, who shall be the chairperson of the Commission;
One Supreme Court judge elected by the judges of the Supreme Court;
One Court of Appeal judge elected by the judges of the Court of Appeal;
One High Court judge and one magistrate, one a woman and one a man, elected by the members of the association of judges and magistrates;
The Attorney-General;
Two advocates, one a woman and one a man, each of whom has at least fifteen years’ experience, elected by the members of the statutory body responsible for the professional regulation of advocates;
One person nominated by the Public Service Commission; and
One woman and one man to represent the public, not being lawyers, appointed by the President with the approval of the National Assembly.

FUNCTIONS OF THE JUDICIAL SERVICE COMMISSION

(1) The Judicial Service Commission shall promote and facilitate the independence and accountability of the judiciary and the efficient, effective and transparent administration of justice and shall–

(a) recommend to the President persons for appointment as judges;
(b) review and make recommendations on the conditions of service of–

(i) judges and judicial officers, other than their remuneration; and
(ii) the staff of the Judiciary;

(c) appoint, receive complaints against, investigate and remove from office or otherwise discipline registrars, magistrates, other judicial officers and other staff of the Judiciary, in the manner prescribed by an Act of Parliament;
(d) prepare and implement programmes for the continuing education and training of judges and judicial officers; and
(e) advise the national government on improving the efficiency of the administration of justice.

(2) In the performance of its functions, the Commission shall be guided by the following–

(a) competitiveness and transparent processes of appointment of judicial officers and other staff of the judiciary; and
(b) the promotion of gender equality.