Court of Appeal Judge, Justice Joel Ngugi was crowned the Jurist of the Year by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) on Friday, December 9.
In his acceptance speech, Ngugi dedicated the award to Kenyans who continually fight for the Rule of Law.
“This award is meant for the many faceless Kenyans who, daily, fight for the Kenyan Constitution and Constitutionalism,” Justice (Prof.) Joel Ngugi remarked in his acceptance speech.
American Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman, who graced the award, underlined that the United States Government will continue supporting judicial efforts in Kenya.
“The United States has supported judicial reform efforts in Kenya for over a decade, and we will continue to support these efforts in part because they are central to curbing graft,” she stated.
“Kenya is strategically positioned and is the leader of the tech in East Africa, and frankly, I believe you could be the leader in the whole of Africa,” she stated.
Justice Ngugi was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Kenya in September 2011 and was initially stationed at the High Court in Machakos.
He is famous for quashing the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) case at the High Court alongside Justices Teresia Matheka, George Odunga, Jairus Ngaah, and Chacha Mwita.
Ngugi was equally among the six judges appointed to the Court of Appeal by President William Ruto. His predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, had left them out while appointing 34 others. The six included Ngugi, Aggrey Muchelule, George Odunga and Weldon Korir.
Meanwhile, the Jurist of the Year Award is an annual event that seeks to give recognition, acknowledgement, and encouragement to jurists who have consistently, fearlessly, and impartially promoted the rule of law and human rights in Kenya during the year.
The award is conferred on every December 10 since 1993 to commemorate and honour the United Nations International Human Rights Day.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE
