The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has cancelled
the declared vacancies in the office of judges of the superior courts.
In a notice published on Wednesday’s dailies, JSC Secretary
Winfridah Mokaya said this was due to financial restraints.
“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 called the advertisement of the positions,” the notice
reads in part.
The JSC had advertised the job vacancies on February
9, 2024, being 11 positions in the office of the judge of the Court of Appeal,
and five positions in the office of the judge of the High Court.
The job vacancies had been advertised following
a meeting held on Monday, January 22, 2024, which brought together all branches
of government.
Then, the Executive and Legislature
pledged to support the Judiciary's request for additional budgetary allocation.
In the revocation notice, Mokaya apologised for the inconvenience
caused, providing contacts for anyone seeking more clarification.
For clarification, one can reach the commission on
telephone number +254202739180 or email [email protected].
One can also visit the JSC offices at CBK Pension
Towers, 13th Floor, Harambee Avenue, PO Box 40048-00100, Nairobi,
Kenya.
The vacancies were revoked through a notice in the Kenya
Gazette dated January 15.
The revoked notices included a Gazette Notice No. 1076
of January 30, 2024, that declared 11 vacancies in the office of judge of the
Court of Appeal and a Gazette Notice No. 4932 shared on April 22, 2024, listing
applicants, shortlisted candidates, and an interview schedule.
JSC also cancelled a Gazette Notice No. 1271 shared on February 5, 2024, declaring the five vacancies in the office
of judge of the High Court of Kenya.
The revocation comes barely five months after
the JSC on July 3, 2024, suspended the recruitment of 11 Court of Appeal judges
in response to an expenditure cut directive from the National Treasury.
This comes when the judiciary is
struggling with a backlog of cases.
The judiciary’s capacity challenges remain unresolved, with the demand for more judges critical to reducing case backlogs and ensuring timely justice.
