Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Kaluma has called on politicians to apply for positions on the Supreme Court of Kenya bench whenever vacancies arise.
In a statement on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Kaluma argued that politicians should not shy away from seeking appointment to the country’s highest court.
“Politicians should apply to serve as judges of the Supreme Court of Kenya as and when the Judiciary seeks to fill the vacancies therein,” Kaluma said.
Furthermore, he asserted that, globally, supreme courts are not purely institutions of legal scholarship but also serve broader political functions.
“Across the world, the Supreme Court is a political court undergirding the stability of the State, not a ‘jurisprudence court.”
Court of Appeal Judges
This comes hours after President William Ruto oversaw the swearing-in of 15 judges of the Court of Appeal.
The judges were appointed on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, following interviews.
The appointments were made under Gazette Notice No. 1000 and are anchored in Article 166 (1) (b) of the Constitution of Kenya, which grants the President authority to appoint judges of superior courts.
The new appellate judges include seasoned jurists drawn from the High Court, senior advocates and legal professionals.
They include Hedwig Imbosa Ong’udi, Mathews Nduma Nderi, Linnet Mumo Ndolo, Enock Chacha Mwita, Lucy Mwihaki Njuguna, Samson Odhiambo Okongo and Rachel Chepkoech Ngetich.
President Ruto’s long-time lawyer, Joseph Kipchumba Kigen Katwa; Ahmed Issack Hassan, the outgoing chairperson of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority; Paul Lilan; Munyao Sila; Johnson Okoth Okello; and Byram Ongaya also featured on the list.
The appointments raise the number of judges on the Court of Appeal, Kenya’s second-highest court, from 27 to 42.
This expansion aims to bolster judicial capacity and speed up the handling of appellate cases, which have long faced delays due to high caseloads.
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) initiated the process, conducting public interviews and vetting candidates in line with constitutional requirements.
The selection process involved public advertising of vacancies, public participation before shortlisting, open interviews and thorough vetting based on professional competence, communication skills, integrity, fairness and legal experience.
Chief Justice Martha Koome described the recruitment process as “rigorous, transparent and competitive”, saying the new judges will help reduce case backlogs and improve access to justice.
Once sworn in, Court of Appeal judges hear appeals from the High Court and specialised tribunals, making their role central to the country’s justice system.
The expanded bench is expected to deepen the judiciary’s ability to adjudicate complex legal and constitutional matters with greater efficiency ahead of the 2027 general election cycle.
