Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Kaluma has complained that Homa Bay County has only two judges serving in the devolved unit.
In a statement on Thursday, June 5, 2025, Kaluma decried the lack of a single judge from his constituency among the 200 in the country.
“No judge from Homa Bay Town Constituency. Only two judges from Homa Bay County, out of 200 judges in Kenya! Not acceptable,” he lamented.
According to Homa Bay Law Courts, the judiciary is headed by a presiding judge, Lady Justice Olga Sewe, and a visiting Environment and Land Court judge, Justice Fred Ongarora Nyagaka, who operates between Migori and Homa Bay counties.
Kaluma’s remarks follow the advertisement by the Judiciary for judges in the Court of Appeal, the High Court, and the Environment and Land Court.
In a gazette notice issued on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, Chief Justice Martha Koome noted that a total of 45 positions are available across the three courts.
The vacancies
According to the announcement, there are 15 open positions for judges of the Court of Appeal. Successful applicants will serve until the age of 70, with the option to retire early at 65 years.
The remuneration for the position is guided by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), with a gross monthly package ranging between Ksh775,845 and Ksh1,187,152, excluding additional benefits.
“Pursuant to section 30 of the Judicial Service Act and section 3 Part II of the First Schedule of the Judicial Service Act, 2011, I, Martha Karambu Koome, Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya, for and on behalf of the Judiciary of Kenya, declare vacancies in the Office of Judge of the Court of Appeal of the Republic of Kenya,” read the notice.
On the other hand, 20 positions are available for judges of the High Court.
Like the Court of Appeal, the retirement age is set at 70 years, with early retirement permitted at 65 years under Article 167(1) of the Constitution.
The salary range, also set by SRC guidelines, is between Ksh750,000 and Ksh1,029,691 per month, excluding benefits.
“Pursuant to section 30 of the Judicial Service Act and section 3, Part II of the First Schedule of the Judicial Service Act (No. 1 of 2011), I, Martha Karambu Koome, Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya, for and on behalf of the Judiciary of Kenya, declare vacancies in the Office of Judge of the High Court of the Republic of Kenya,” a separate notice read.
Environment and Land Court
Lastly, 10 positions have also been declared vacant for judges of the Environment and Land Court.
The retirement terms and constitutional provisions are similar to those of the other courts.
The monthly gross salary package ranges between Ksh750,000 and Ksh1,029,691, exclusive of additional allowances and benefits.
“Pursuant to section 30 of the Judicial Service Act and section 3, Part II of the First Schedule of the Judicial Service Act, 2011, I, Martha Karambu Koome, Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya, for and on behalf of the Judiciary of Kenya, declare vacancies in the Office of Judge of the Environment and Land Court of the Republic of Kenya,” the notice stated.
These postings followed a January 22, 2024, meeting involving all arms of government, during which the executive and legislature pledged support for increased funding to the judiciary.
The January 2025 revocation occurred barely five months after the JSC suspended the recruitment of 11 Court of Appeal judges on July 3, 2024, following a directive from the National Treasury to cut expenditures.
Chief Justice Koome stated at the time that the decision was part of compliance with Treasury instructions requiring a 15 per cent reduction in the judiciary’s allocated budget.
