Hon. Justice Philomena Mbete Mwilu, EGH

1. Hon. Justice Philomena Mbete Mwilu, EGH

Deputy Chief Justice & Vice President of the Supreme Court.

The Honourable Lady Justice Philomena Mbete Mwilu, EGH, has served as the 3rd Deputy Chief Justice and Vice President of the Supreme Court of Kenya since October 2016.

An Advocate of the High Court with over 38 years of legal experience, she holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Laws from the University of Nairobi. She began her distinguished career upon her admission to the bar in 1984.

Lady Justice Mwilu was in private legal practice in various law firms in Nairobi for the first seven years following her admission to the Bar.

Thereafter, she ventured into the corporate world working as a Senior Legal Officer in insurance; Board Secretary in charge of the day-to-day running of a State Corporation in regulation; the Deputy Chairperson of the Energy Tribunal; and later as Director on the Board of the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company before being appointed a Puisne Judge in 2007.

In the discharge of her social responsibility, Lady Justice Mwilu is passionate about mentoring girls and boys in schools across the country, using her experience and example to promote positive, wholesome and healthy futures for young adults and especially the girl child in Kenya.

For her service to society, the Deputy Chief Justice was decorated on 11th April, 2017 by the Head of State, H. E. Uhuru Kenyatta, with the award of Moran of the Golden Heart, and later on December 12, 2024, she was awarded the Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart by H.E. Dr William Ruto.

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Retirement Year: 2027

Education: Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Nairobi.

Career: Admitted to the Bar in 1984. She spent seven years in private practice before moving into the corporate sector (insurance and state corporations). She served as a Judge in the High Court (Commercial, Criminal, and Environment divisions) and was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2012.

2. Hon. Justice Martha Koome, EGH

Hon. Justice Martha Koome, EGH

Chief Justice & President of the Supreme Court.

The Honourable Martha K. Koome, EGH, was sworn in on 21st May 2021 as the 15th Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya and the 3rd President of the Supreme Court.

Her appointment marked a historic milestone as the first woman to lead the Kenyan Judiciary in its century-long history.

Her elevation to Chief Justice followed a distinguished tenure as a Senior Judge of Appeal, where she led the Criminal Division and pioneered structural reforms, including the development of the Court of Appeal’s Practice Directions and Registry Manual.

A respected leader among her peers, she was elected President of the Kenya Magistrates and Judges Association (KMJA) in 2019. Chief Justice Koome’s judicial career began in 2003, during which she served as Resident Judge in Nakuru and Kitale, and headed the Land and Environment Division in Nairobi.

Before joining the bench, she spent 15 years in private practice specializing in commercial, civil, and family law following her admission to the bar in 1987.

Retirement Year: 2030

Education: LLB (University of Nairobi), LLM (University of London).

Career: Admitted to the Bar in 1987. She was a prominent human rights defender and Chairperson of FIDA Kenya. She joined the Judiciary in 2003 as a High Court Judge and was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2012, where she headed the Criminal Division.

Key Roles: In 2021, she became the first female Chief Justice of Kenya. She is recognized for her work in children’s rights and was a member of the African Union Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

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3. Hon. Justice (Dr.) Smokin Wanjala, CBS

Hon. Justice (Dr.) Smokin Wanjala, CBS

Justice of the Supreme Court

The Honourable Justice Smokin Wanjala was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya in 2011.

A distinguished legal scholar, he holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Nairobi, an LL.M from Columbia University, and a PhD from the University of Ghent.

Beyond the bench, Justice Wanjala currently serves as the Director of the Kenya Judiciary Academy (KJA) and is the Judiciary’s representative to the Council of Legal Education.

His leadership within the Judiciary has been extensive, including a five-year term on the Judicial Service Commission (2011–2016) and membership on the Judiciary Standing Committee on Elections. Before his judicial appointment, he spent nearly two decades as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Nairobi.

He is also widely recognized for his public service as the Joint Secretary to the Ndung’u Commission—where he oversaw the writing of the landmark “Ndung’u Report”—and as an Assistant Director of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC).

Retirement Year: 2030

Education: LLB (University of Nairobi), LLM (Columbia University, USA), PhD (University of Ghent, Belgium).

Career: A career academic, he lectured at the University of Nairobi for 19 years. He served as the Assistant Director of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) and was a key architect of the Ndung’u Report on illegal land allocations.

Key Roles: Appointed to the inaugural Supreme Court bench in 2011. He is the current Director of the Kenya Judiciary Academy (KJA).

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Hon. Mr. Justice William Ouko, CBS

Justice of the Supreme Court.

Hon. Justice William Ouko is a Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya with a distinguished judicial career spanning over 34 years. He holds an LL.B from the University of Nairobi, a Diploma from the Kenya School of Law, and a Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Justice Ouko joined the Judiciary in 1987, steadily rising from District Magistrate to Registrar of the High Court and Accounting Officer for the Judiciary by 2002.

His leadership was further established in 2004 upon his appointment as a High Court Judge, followed by his elevation to the Court of Appeal in 2012. In 2018, his peers elected him President of the Court of Appeal, a role he held until his appointment to the Supreme Court in May 2021.

Beyond the bench, Justice Ouko has been a pivotal figure in judicial reform, notably chairing the 2009 Task Force on Judicial Reforms, which heavily influenced the 2010 Constitution of Kenya.

Retirement Year: 2031

Education: LLB (University of Nairobi), MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice (Egerton University).

Career: He has a unique mix of administrative and judicial experience, having served as the Registrar of the High Court. He rose through the ranks from District Magistrate to High Court Judge (2004) and Court of Appeal Judge (2012).

Key Roles: He served as the President of the Court of Appeal before his elevation to the Supreme Court in 2021.

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5. Hon. Lady Justice Njoki Ndungu, CBS

Hon. Lady Justice Njoki Ndungu, CBS

Justice of the Supreme Court.

Hon. Lady Justice Njoki Ndung’u is a Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya and a distinguished advocate with specialized expertise in Human Rights, Civil Liberties, and Women’s Rights.

Before her judicial appointment, she held high-level positions at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the African Union.

Justice Ndung’u’s legacy is deeply rooted in legislative reform. As a Member of the 9th Parliament, she authored the landmark Sexual Offences Act (2006) and pioneered amendments to the Employment Act that secured paid maternity and paternity leave.

Her contributions to the Kenyan legal landscape are foundational; she was a member of the Committee of Experts that drafted the 2010 Constitution. In recognition of her service, she has received the UN Person of the Year award (2006) and the Jurist of the Year award.

Currently, she heads the Supreme Court’s Governance and Regulatory Affairs portfolio, where she oversees the development of rules and strategies to ensure the court’s operational consistency and predictability.

Retirement Year: 2035

Education: LLB (University of Nairobi), LLM in Human Rights and Civil Liberties (University of Leicester, UK).

Career: Previously worked as State Counsel, a UN protection officer, and a political analyst for the African Union. She was a nominated Member of Parliament (2003–2007).

Key Roles: She is famously the architect of the Sexual Offences Act (2006) and amendments providing for paid maternity and paternity leave. She was also a member of the Committee of Experts that drafted the 2010 Constitution.

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6. Hon. Mr. Justice Isaac Lenaola, CBS

Hon. Mr. Justice Isaac Lenaola, CBS

Justice of the Supreme Court

Hon. Justice Isaac Lenaola is a Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya, renowned for his expertise in constitutional law and his commitment to judicial efficiency.

An alumnus of the University of Nairobi, he began his career in private practice before contributing to Kenya’s constitutional journey as a Commissioner for the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission (CKRC).

Since joining the Judiciary in 2003, Justice Lenaola has served with distinction across several High Court stations, eventually becoming the Presiding Judge of the Constitutional and Human Rights Division.

His judicial reach extends internationally; he served as Deputy Principal Judge of the East African Court of Justice and continues to serve as a Judge of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, he currently leads several global legal bodies, including the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ).

In recognition of his landmark jurisprudence and backlog clearance efforts, he was named Jurist of the Year in 2019 and holds the national honor of Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS).

Retirement Year: 2038

Education: LLB (University of Nairobi).

Career: Admitted to the Bar in 1991. He served as a Commissioner at the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission (CKRC) and joined the Judiciary in 2003. He was the Presiding Judge of the Constitutional and Human Rights Division at the High Court.

Key Roles: He has extensive international experience, serving as a Judge of the East African Court of Justice and the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone. He joined the Supreme Court in 2016.

High Court structure for representation. PHOTO/S