Kenya’s Supreme Court Earns African Bar Association Accolade for Judicial Excellence

The Supreme Court of Kenya has received one of the greatest honours that African Bar Association (AfBA) has to offer which is the Medal of Merit of Judicial Excellence. The award honours the Court and its effective jurisprudence, dedication to the constitutional values, and its key contribution to democracy and the rule of law in Kenya and the African continent.

The award of this prestigious prize highlights the influence of apex court in Kenya in terms of how it has molded the contemporary legal thought in the continent of Africa by making bold and transformative decisions. It recognizes all the long-term endeavors of the institution to maintain constitutional integrity, protect human rights, and enhance democratic governance in line with the vision of the 2010 Constitution.

Instead, the award was presented to the Chief Justice Martha Koome who is also the President of the Supreme Court. Certain major members of the Court such as Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, and Justices Njoki Ndungu, Isaac Lenaola and William Ouko were all present at the ceremony.

At the event, the AfBA commended the Court in achieving a high leadership in promoting transformational jurisprudence, constitutional supremacy, and democracy. The association also reported that the Kenyan Supreme Court has emerged as a source of judicial independence and integrity in the continent.

A Sign of Constitutional Dedication.

Chief Justice Koome in her acceptance speech was thankful to the recognition saying that it was an honour and a sobering moment to the Kenyan people that the Judiciary has a duty to.

She said that we were glad that the labor of the Supreme Court, through its duty, conscience, and the Constitution, had been heard above our borders. It is not an award that a single court can take pride in, but a country that firmly believes in the ideals of justice and the rule of law.

She has added that the accolade is a manifestation of the maturity of Kenya democracy and the faith that people still have in judicial institutions despite the political charged situations. She added that the trust that Kenyans have in the Judiciary had to be earned on a daily basis by being fair, upright and being constantly excellent.

Koome also praised her fellow justices as she said that African courts are also becoming leaders in terms of jurisprudential innovation globally. This acknowledgement confirms once again that the African courts are not merely imitators of the global legal trends but are influencing the future of the justice in the world.

Court Cases and European Influence.

The AfBA in its official citation has quoted some of the most powerful decisions of the Supreme Court. Some of them were the 2012 Advisory Opinion on the two-thirds gender rule, Rai v Rai, Peter Munya v Dickson Mwenda Kithinji, and the historic 2017 and 2022 presidential election petitions.

The AfBA reveals that these rulings have significantly empowered the democratic institutions in Kenya and brought hope in electoral justice in Africa. The 2022 presidential petition decision, especially, was identified as a gold standard of judicial excellence, which strengthened transparency, enhanced the confidence of people, and maintained the integrity of election in Kenya.

Advocate Charles Kihara, the AfBA Vice President in East Africa, was the one to present the award. Advocate Nicholas Sumba, Senior Counsel Charles Kanjama, and Senior Counsel Kamau Karori accompanied him and praised the Supreme Court on its role of administering justice without fear or favour and doing so with professionalism and courage.

The African Bar Association is an organization of lawyers and legal professionals, which was founded in 1937 by the Englishman, W.M. 1. 0. Greene.

The African Bar Association as a pan-African professional association is based in Accra, Ghana and its mission is to ensure the promotion of the rule of law, judicial independence, and improvement of ethical standards in the legal profession. AfBA awards persons and organisations who do extraordinary work towards good governance and legal excellence through awards such as the Medal of Merit.

The AfBA by honouring the Supreme Court of Kenya declared it as one of the most prominent judicial institutions in Africa, a Court whose contribution has continued to guide constitutional democracy in the region and set an example of confidence in the judicial systems in the continent.