Fred Ngatia Mellows JSC Panel in CJ interview

Senior Counsel Fred Ngatia might be Kenya’s Chief Justice. The interview started on a calculative cadence, unstiffened tone, as Ngatia was taken to task over his ambition to succeed Maraga.

The CJ aspirant demonstrated how he had read broadly – when he recounted his philosophical skills and linked the knowledge he had gained to the legal realm. He told the panel that he restored harmony at the University of Nairobi, when the institution was bedeviled by rampant indiscipline cases. 

“I started working with the universities to be able to find a solution on how to deal with the 80,000 students. I came up with a handbook that helped to curb this issue of the perennial problem of indiscipline,” he told JSC.

Legal experts read much from the past advocate-client relationship between Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu and Senior Counsel Fred Ngatia. Former DPP Philip Murgor, who is among the CJ aspirants, had moved to court seeking the recusal of Mwilu from the interviewing panel.

If appointed, Ngatia will be the second Chief Justice to be appointed outside the Judiciary. The first Chief Justice to be appointed out of the judicial confines was Dr. Willy Mutunga.

Ngatia is banking on his 41 years of experience in the legal practice. He told JSC on Tuesday that during the nascent days of his legal practice he helped settle a boundary dispute pitting Kenya against Sudan, and added that he is best suited to be Kenya’s Chief Justice.

He claimed credit for researching more on boundary issues and enabling Kenya to acquire an extra area measuring 9,680 square meters. 

Ngatia accredited himself for enabling the acquisition of land for Kasarani Sports Complex. 

“Perhaps I should say I started my legal career in 1980 and allocated many difficult briefs among them the acquisition of the land where Kasarani Sports Compex stands,” Ngatia stated.

Ngatia’s Pledge

He has promised to move the Judiciary to the next level, which in his view can be done by expeditious finalization of cases. He cited South Africa which has a Case Management System, which keeps track of cases from the filing to the termination of a case.

Ngatia has pledged to complete criminal cases within 6 months, end hearing delays and end case backlogs. 

Ngatia’s Legal representation in Landmark Cases 

Ngatia was among the battery of lawyers who represented President Uhuru Kenyatta at the Supreme Court, after Raila Odinga successfully petitioned against his 2017 presidential win. 

In 2018, Ngatia was among the lawyers who participated in a case at the Supreme Court that saw the abolishment of mandatory death sentence. 

He once represented the National Assembly against the senate on an advisory opinion on the Division of Revenue Bill. In 2019, Ngatia was selected by the Council of Governors to represent them on the Division of Revenue Bill.