Lorot: I am very strict about my intergrity, I don't handle corrupt money

Naivasha Law Courts Chief Magistrate Abdulqadi Lorot Ramadan has vowed to uphold his integrity and avoid unethical practices that could compromise his work if appointed the IEBC chairperson.

Lorot who was appearing Monday for vetting before the IEBC selection panel had been asked whether he had ever faced ethical dilemmas in his career and how he had handled them.

In response, he recounted an incident where an advocate representing a client attempted to engage him in an improper negotiation over a pending matter.

“He approached me in my chambers and said that he had been sent by his client... I did not let him speak. I was scheduled to deliver the ruling the next day, so I instructed him to appear in court for the ruling," Lorot explained.

However, he said, the advocate failed to appear in court as directed, prompting him to compel his attendance.

He added that while the client was lucky to win the case, he did not award him costs as a penalty for the attempted interference

In his ruling, Lorot stated he documented the advocate’s approach and subsequently reported the matter to the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) for further action.

“I am very strict about my integrity. I have a very good wife, one of the things she has told me is that I should never come home with corrupt money because that will affect my children and everybody else,” he said.

Lorot is among the 11 candidates shortlisted for the chairman post.

Others are former Judiciary chief registrar Anne Amadi, former East African Court of Justice judge Charles Nyachae and Edward Katama Ngeywa.

The oral interviews for the positions of chairperson and members of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commence today, March 4.

Candidates who applied for the positions of member will be interviewed from Thursday, March, 27 to April 24

The venue of the interviews is the College of Insurance South C, Nairobi.