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Tribunal to investigate Justice Ojwang sworn in


The tribunal to investigate the conduct of Supreme Court Judge, Justice Jackton Ojwang, has been sworn in.

The tribunal, which was appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta to probe the allegation of misconduct by the judge, will be led by Justice Alnashir Visram is the chair.

Other members of the tribunal are Justice Rtd Festus Azangalala, Ambrose Weda, Andrew Bahati Mwamuye, Sylvia Wanjiku Muchiri, Lucy Kanbuni, and Amina Abdalla.

SUSPENDED

The tribunal has joint secretaries and assisting counsel, who were also sworn in on Monday by the President of the Supreme Court of Kenya, Chief Justice David Maraga.

Paul Nyamodi will be the lead assisting counsel and Stella Munyi assistin counsel in the tribunal. Mr Peter Kariuki and Josiah Musili will be the Joint Secretaries to the tribunal.

In a Special Gazette notice dated March 29, 2019 President Kenyatta said Justice Ojwang had been suspended with immediate effect pending conclusion of the probe.

“In the meantime, Jackton Boma Ojwang, Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya stands suspended from exercising the functions of his office with immediate effect according to Article 168 (5) of the Constitution,” read part of the notice.

PETITION

The suspension was due to allegations contained in a petition filed by Nelson Oduor Onyango and eight others.

In the petition, Justice Ojwang is alleged to have benefited from the construction of a road leading to his rural house in Migori County, after issuing a favorable ruling in a Sony Sugar belt case that Governor Okoth Obado supposedly had interests in.

According to the Judicial Service Commission(JSC), “The commission found that the petition disclosed sufficient ground to warrant a recommendation to the President to set up a tribunal for the removal of Justice Ojwang and accordingly adopted it.”