Call to Sideline Isaac Ruto from Supreme Court Hiring Over Political Links

By Brian Kiprono - Reporter

Kenya, January 28 , 2026 - A former senior member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has raised fresh concerns over the integrity of the ongoing recruitment of a Supreme Court judge, urging the Commission to bar its Vice Chair, Isaac Ruto, from taking part because of his alleged active involvement in party politics.

In a letter to Chief Justice Martha Koome, who chairs the JSC, former Vice Chair and Commissioner Macharia Njeru said Ruto’s public association with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) undermines the constitutional requirement for political neutrality within the Judiciary.

Njeru pointed to widely circulated media images and reports showing Ruto attending UDA meetings, including the party’s National Governing Council session held at State House. He argued that such appearances are incompatible with the role of a serving JSC commissioner.

“It is unprecedented for a sitting JSC Commissioner to openly associate with, or actively participate in, the affairs of a political party,” Njeru wrote, warning that the conduct risks eroding public confidence in the independence of the Judiciary.

Drawing from his time at the Commission between 2019 and 2024, Njeru said active participation in partisan politics was previously grounds for disqualifying judicial candidates, precisely to protect the courts from political influence. He questioned whether any policy changes had been made to now allow commissioners themselves to engage in politics, saying he was unaware of any.

Beyond calling for Ruto’s exclusion from the ongoing interviews, Njeru urged him to recuse himself from the process and ultimately resign from the Commission “for the greater good of the JSC and the Judiciary”.

Similar concerns have also been raised by the Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK), which has called for an urgent JSC meeting to deliberate on the conduct of commissioners alleged to have breached constitutional and statutory standards on integrity and accountability.

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The controversy comes at a sensitive time for the Commission, which is in the process of filling a vacancy at the Supreme Court following the death of Justice Mohammed Ibrahim in December 2025. The court currently has six judges, just one above the constitutional minimum, a situation that has heightened public scrutiny given the court’s central role in resolving presidential election disputes.

Since its establishment under the 2010 Constitution, the Supreme Court has delivered landmark decisions that have shaped Kenya’s political and legal landscape, from presidential election rulings to constitutional and human rights cases. As such, the credibility of the recruitment process has attracted keen national attention.

The current hiring exercise, launched on January 14, 2026, seeks applicants with at least 15 years’ experience as judges, legal practitioners or distinguished academics. Candidates must also meet the Chapter Six requirements on leadership and integrity.

Whether the JSC will act on the calls to sideline its Vice Chair now remains to be seen, but the debate has once again placed the spotlight on the fine line between politics and judicial independence in Kenya.