JSC nominates Justice Warsame for Supreme Court post

The Judicial Service Commission has put forward a candidate to fill a vacancy on Kenya's Supreme Court, naming long-serving Court of Appeal judge Justice Mohamed Warsame as its preferred nominee following a competitive selection process that drew close attention from legal circles nationwide.

Justice Warsame, 68, emerged from two days of JSC interviews as the recommended candidate. He has sat at the Court of Appeal since 2012, accumulating more than a decade handling appeals across civil, criminal and constitutional matters at Kenya's second-highest court. His elevation, pending presidential appointment, would place him on the seven-member Supreme Court, which exercises final appellate jurisdiction under Kenya's 2010 Constitution and has presided over some of the country's most consequential legal disputes, including the high-stakes presidential election petitions of 2013, 2017 and 2022.

The nomination now moves to the President for formal appointment, a step governed by the process established under the JSC Act. The vacancy arose following the departure of a sitting justice, leaving the court one member below its full complement and raising questions among legal practitioners about the bench's capacity to manage its existing docket efficiently.

Justice Warsame's background encompasses both private legal practice and judicial service. Legal commentators noted that his experience in commercial law and constitutional litigation aligns well with the profile of cases that regularly reach the Supreme Court.

The JSC, chaired by the Chief Justice and including representatives from the Law Society of Kenya, the Attorney-General's office and members of the public, received multiple applications before shortlisting candidates for the interview stage. Transparency advocates praised the open interview format, which was broadcast live in keeping with Kenya's constitutional emphasis on public accountability in the appointment of senior judicial officers.