Judiciary reopens hiring for 45 judges

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has reopened the recruitment process for judges, announcing 45 vacancies across three superior courts.

In a Gazette Notice dated June 4, 2025, Chief Justice Martha Koome, who chairs the JSC, revealed that there are 15 positions available in the Court of Appeal, 20 in the High Court, and 10 in the Environment and Land Court.

The notice states, “Pursuant to section 30 of the Judicial Service Commission Act, and section 3 of the First Schedule of the Judicial Service Act 2011, I, Martha Koome, Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya and on behalf of the Judiciary of Kenya, declare vacancies in the office of the Judge of the Court of Appeal.”

This announcement marks a return to staffing efforts that were halted on January 22, 2025, due to funding shortfalls.

JSC Secretary and Chief Registrar of the Judiciary, Winfred Mokaya, attributed the suspension to financial constraints.

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 “This is to notify the general public and applicants and/or shortlisted candidates that owing to financial restraints caused by budget cuts, the JSC has recalled the advertisement of the positions,” Mokaya stated in a notice.

The previous recruitment drive, announced on February 9, 2024, aimed to fill 11 appellate court positions and five in the High Court, but was postponed following a directive from the National Treasury to reduce the Judiciary's budget by 15 per cent.

At the time, Chief Justice Koome expressed concern over the financial pressure on the institution, stating, “As a result, our expenditure is now limited strictly to essential needs.”

She added, “We are compelled to make major adjustments to planned programs and activities. Regrettably, this has necessitated the decision by the JSC to suspend all pending recruitments, including that of the 11 Judges of the Court of Appeal.”

The hiring freeze had raised concerns about the growing case backlog and delayed justice delivery.

The initial halt followed a meeting on January 22, 2024, involving the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary, during which the government promised to support enhanced budget allocations to strengthen judicial capacity.