Nairobi: Chief Justice (CJ) Martha Koome has emphasized the need for stronger ethical foundations within institutions responsible for safeguarding the Constitution and implementing landmark judicial decisions in Kenya. She highlighted that such ethical grounding is essential for the enforcement of Kenya’s progressive Constitutional order.
According to Kenya News Agency, CJ Koome explained that despite the global respect earned by the High Court’s jurisprudence over the past 15 years, the victories in jurisprudence have not always translated into tangible realities for ordinary Kenyans. A significant gap persists between judicial ideals and their implementation on the ground.
Speaking at the closure of the Second Edition of the High Court Annual Human Rights Summit in Nairobi, CJ Koome expressed concern over Kenya’s ongoing human rights challenges, including extrajudicial killings, abductions, homelessness, inequality, and rising cases of femicide and gender-based violence. She described these issues as stru
ctural failures rooted in governance gaps.
CJ Koome stressed that ethical leadership should extend beyond personal integrity to encompass institutional courage, transparency, humility, and a commitment to service. She emphasized that ethical leadership is a pillar of constitutionalism and that without it, constitutionalism lacks substance, and human dignity becomes an unattainable ideal.
Highlighting the significance of the 2010 Constitution, CJ Koome noted that it was adopted to anchor Kenya on values such as human dignity, equity, social justice, and non-discrimination. She underscored the pivotal role of the High Court in bridging abstract constitutional ideals with concrete human struggles, where individuals seek justice and recognition.
CJ Koome praised the High Court’s decisions for expanding freedoms, enforcing socio-economic rights, protecting marginalized groups, and holding the Executive and Legislature accountable. She reiterated that the Constitution is a binding blueprint for national transfor
mation, compelling public institutions to prioritize justice, equality, and dignity.
The Chief Justice urged judges to ensure that ethical leadership defines public service, asserting that without it, the Constitution’s promise of accountability and human dignity cannot be fulfilled. She called for adherence to Chapter Six of the Constitution as Kenya’s ethical code, emphasizing that public power is a sacred trust, not personal property.
CJ Koome concluded by encouraging all stakeholders to uphold a deep ethic of service and commitment to human dignity, warning that without this human infrastructure, the constitutional text remains merely ink on paper.
