Dorcas Agik Oduor, the first female Attorney General of the Republic of Kenya since the country’s independence in 1963, made history by being sworn in as President of the Republic of Kenya on Tuesday 20 August and as a member of the Supreme Court of Kenya on Friday 23 August. Martha Koome has been President of the Supreme Court of Justice of Kenya since 21 May 2021.
Dorcas Agik Oduor succeeded Justin Muturi, who was appointed Kenya’s Minister of Public Service after resigning as Attorney General.
The swearing-in ceremony at the Supreme Court of Justice of Kenya was presided over by Martha Koome, President of this institution and the first woman to hold this position in the country, who took office on 21 May 2021.
Dorcas Agik Oduor was sworn in at the Supreme Court to become a member of the Judicial Service Commission, an independent commission established under Article 171 of the Constitution of Kenya with a mandate to promote and facilitate the independence and accountability of the judiciary and the efficient, effective and transparent administration of justice.
On this occasion, Martha Koome expressed her confidence in Dorcas Oduor’s ability to make a significant contribution to the Joint Oversight Committee, given her vast experience of the legal profession and her knowledge of the Kenyan judicial system: ‘We worked closely with her when she was Secretary of Public Prosecutions and was actively involved in the activities of the National Council on the Administration of Justice. I am therefore confident that her voice, perspectives and ideas will greatly enrich our actions and decisions within the Judicial Service Commission, particularly with regard to promoting the independence and accountability of the judiciary, and supporting the goal of building a people-centred justice system in Kenya,’ said the Chief Justice of Kenya.
Extensive experience of the criminal justice system in Kenya
An Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, experienced in litigation, drafting and providing legal advice, Dorcas Oduor has worked in the Kenyan prosecution service for 33 years and began her career as a state advocate in 1991. She has extensive knowledge and experience of the criminal justice system in Kenya.
Prior to her appointment, Dorcas Oduor was Secretary to the Public Prosecution Service and Senior Assistant in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions of Kenya, the national prosecuting authority established by the Constitution of Kenya (2010) to institute criminal proceedings against any person in any court other than a court martial, for any offence alleged to have been committed.
The Office was formerly a department of the Attorney General’s Chambers and had criminal jurisdictional responsibilities for the Republic of Kenya on behalf of the PGR. The office was separated from the State Law Office in 2011 following the appointment of the Director of Public Prosecutions under the new constitutional system.
Prior to this, Dorcas Oduor held various positions within the office, including Head of the Economic, International and Emerging Crimes Department, Deputy State Counsel and State Counsel (Public Prosecution Department) in the then Attorney General’s Office.
She has been a member of various agencies/commissions, including Chair of the Insane Review Board (Criminal Psychiatry), Deputy Advisor to the Akiwumi Commission on Land Disputes, Deputy Advisor to the Bosire Commission on the Goldenberg Affair, Deputy Adviser to the Kiruki Commission on the Arthur brothers, Joint Secretary to the Police Reform Commission (Ransley Commission), Chair of the Criminal Psychiatry Commission (on behalf of the Attorney General), Member of the National Task Force on Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing.
Dorcas Oduor holds a master’s degree in international conflict management, a law degree from the University of Nairobi and a law degree from the Kenya School of Law.
First woman president of the Supreme Court of Kenya
Martha K. Koome will take office as the 15th Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya on 21 May 2021. As Chief Justice, she chairs the Judicial Service Commission, the National Council on the Administration of Justice and the National Council on Legal Reporting.
Prior to her appointment as Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya, she was a Senior Judge of the Court of Appeal, where she headed the Court’s Criminal Division and chaired the committees that developed the Court of Appeal’s Practice Directions on Civil and Criminal Appeals, as well as the Registry Manual that standardised the registry experience within the Court.
Martha Koome joined the judiciary in 2003 as a judge of the High Court, where she served until 2011. During this period, she was resident High Court Judge in Nakuru and Kitale and Head of the former Land and Environment Division of the High Court in Nairobi.
Martha Koome was called to the Kenyan Bar in 1987 and holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi, a Postgraduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law and a Master of Laws degree from the University of London. She subsequently practised for 15 years in the areas of conveyancing, commercial law, civil litigation, criminal litigation and family law. She has also been actively involved in numerous community service projects and has promoted children’s and family issues through pro bono and voluntary services.
In 2020, Martha Koome was voted Kenya’s Second Personality of the Year by the United Nations for her leadership and action in favour of children’s rights.
Martha Koome was also involved in the process of revising the law that gave birth to the Constitution of Kenya in 2010. In 2019, she became president of the Kenya Magistrates and Judges Association (KMJA) and a representative of the East African Magistrates and Judges Association.
Martha Koome also helped found the East African Law Society in 1995 and was its first treasurer. She was involved in the discussions leading up to the adoption of the East African Community Treaty and the Community’s institutions, such as the East African Court of Justice. In 1997, she was elected President of the Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya Chapter (FIDA Kenya) and served two consecutive terms.
In 2005, Martha Koome was a member of the African Union Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
