Nairobi University lecturer Senior Counsel Professor Patricia Kameri Mbote was on Tuesday, April 13, shocked Judicial Service Commission (JSC) for declining to file her husband’s wealth information status as she was applying to become Kenya’s next Chief Justice.
All candidates attempting to get the judicial top seat has to fill forms giving personal wealth status as well as their spouses.
"The wealth disclosure form, under the JS code of conduct, goes beyond the officer. It covers their family members. In form 2B paragraph 8 that you are required to fill, why didn’t you file for your husband?” Commissioner Evelyn Olwande posed.
However, Mbote insisted that she didn’t submit the forms because she didn’t get decent guidelines on whether to file a declaration form for her spouse.
Mrs Mbote questioned by the panel over attention and integrity issues over allegations that she planned and engaged in underhand exercises to exasperate a candidate during nominations with the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).
“I had no interest in any nominee in the Society nominations as my work was only to help LSK,” she noted.
Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu also asked Mbote about taking ownership of a concept paper by Professor Migai Akech without attribution when she served as dean at the University of Nairobi.
Mrs Mbote reacted that she didn’t associate professor Migai and there was going to be output to that work which was going to be a book co-edited by herself and the professor, but they had to refund the money since Migai didn’t work on it.
The senior Counsel is among three women shortlisted to become Kenya’s next Chief Justice.
Prof Mbote, who was bestowed in 2012, has practised law for 30 years and has worked as a dean at the University Of Nairobi School of Law.
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