Court of Appeal Justice Katwa Kigen, formerly a legal representative for President William Ruto, is one of six candidates seeking appointment as a Supreme Court judge.
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) reported on Wednesday, February 25, that six applications had been submitted for the Supreme Court judge position after the application deadline concluded on February 17, 2026.
Additional candidates include Justice Joseph Kiplagat Sergon, Justice Warsame Mohammed, Justice Francis Kipruto Tuiyot, Anne Waceke Kiratu Makori, and Lilian Wanjiku Wachira.
According to JSC, “We advertised one Supreme Court of Kenya judge position on January 27, 2026. By February 17, the Commission received six applications in total.”
The vacancy at the highest court was created by a judge who passed away on December 17 following a prolonged illness.
The Supreme Court was left with an opening due to this death, prompting the Commission to initiate recruitment to restore the court to its full complement of seven judges.
JSC revealed in its announcement that a stakeholder engagement forum would take place on March 23, 2026, prior to the shortlisting process.
Following shortlisting, the commission will announce interview dates for successful candidates, with the stakeholder meeting location to be announced later.
“The Commission will conduct a stakeholder engagement on March 23, 2026, before shortlisting and subsequently will provide notification of interview dates for selected candidates,” JSC stated.
The final appointment will be determined after interviews and recommendations, as per the Constitution, then forwarded to the President for nomination and to Parliament for approval.
Kigen was appointed and sworn in as a Court of Appeal judge just one month prior on January 27, 2026, and is currently assigned to the Nyeri station.
Previously, Kigen represented Ruto in significant cases, serving as part of his defense team at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and during the 2022 presidential election petition.