SIR JOHN AINLEY – 1962-1968
Sir John Ainley
Sir John Ainley was the first independent Kenya Chief Justice after having assumed office in 1962, a year before independence. Sir Ainley who served in several British colonial territories before coming to Kenya, had the singular honour of having sworn in the last Governor General of Kenya, Sir Malcolm MacDonald, in 1963, and Kenya’s founding President, Jomo Kenyatta, in 1964. Described by some as a polite and sincere person and non-controversial, Ainley served until 1968 when he was replaced by Justice Dennis Farrel. Sir Ainley is remembered as the judge who convicted Kisilu Mutua for the assassination of Pio Gama Pinto, a Kenyan journalist, politician and freedom fighter, and sentenced him to death on July 15, 1965.
DAVID KENANI MARAGA
Prior to his appointment as CJ in 2016, Justice Maraga was the Presiding Judge of the Court Of Appeal at Kisumu and the Chairperson of the Judiciary Committee on Elections. He was also Chairperson of the Tribunal appointed by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya that investigated and ruled on the conduct of a Judge of the High Court of Kenya. Prior to his appointment as Judge of the Court of Appeal, he had served as the Presiding Judge of the Family Division of the High Court of Kenya at Nairobi; and Resident Judge at the High Court of Kenya at Nakuru.
Before joining the Judiciary, Justice Maraga was a legal practitioner for twenty five (25) years in conveyancing, civil and criminal litigation. He also served as the Chairman of the Rift Valley Law Society and as a member of the Constitutional Review Task Force of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, East African Union.
The Hon Chief Justice Maraga holds a Master of Laws (LLM) Degree from the University of Nairobi; a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Degree from the same University and a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Kenya School of Law. He was admitted onto the Roll of Advocates in October 1978. He is a member of the Law Society of Kenya and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London.
Justice Maraga has been a part-time Lecturer at University of Nairobi on pro bono basis and is an accomplished trainer and facilitator who has facilitated in several capacity-building workshops at the Judiciary Training Institute and the Law Society of Kenya’s Continuous Legal Education (CLE) workshops. He has presented papers in numerous local and international seminars and conducted trainings in Law.