Supreme Court Judge Mohamed Ibrahim appointed to Judicial Service Commission

This was announced in a Gazette Notice published on June 10, 2022.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 250 (2) (c), as read with Article 171 (2) (b), of the Constitution, I, Uhuru Kenyatta, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, appoint Mohamed Khadhar Ibrahim to be a member of the Judicial Service Commission,” read the gazette notice.

Justice Ibrahim will serve in the JSC for a period of five years after being sworn in by Chief Justice Martha Koome who heads the JSC.

Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court Martha Koome (centre) and Deputy Chief Justice and Vice-President of the Supreme Court Philomena Mwilu (third left) with Supreme Court Judges (from left) Isaac Lenaola, Dr Smokin Wanjala, Mohamed Ibrahim, Njoki Ndung’u and William Ouko at the Supreme Court Building in Nairobi. Jeff Angote | Nation Media Group Pulse Live Kenya

Justice Mohammed Ibrahim’s bio

Justice Ibrahim was appointed a judge of the inaugural Supreme Court of Kenya on June 16, 2011.

He studied law at the University of Nairobi before entering private practice. He joined Messrs Waruhiu & Muite Advocates in November 1982 and was subsequently admitted to the Roll of Advocates on January 11, 1983.

The judge was the first from among the Kenyan Somali community to be admitted to the Bar as an Advocate.

After rising through the ranks, he went on to establish his own practice, Mohammed Ibrahim & Associates, in 1994.

The firm subsequently expanded to become Ibrahim & Isaack Advocates in 1997. The firm was involved in civil and constitutional cases and specialized in banking law, company law, bankruptcy, commercial law, property law, conveyancing and insurance law.

Supreme Court judge, Justice Mohammed Ibrahim Supreme Court judge, Justice Mohammed Ibrahim Pulse Live Kenya

The judge has invested heavily both personally and professionally in securing rights for minority groups, particularly the Somali community, in Kenya.

He fought against the discrimination of Kenyan Somalis when the government gazetted the use of “pink cards” which were used to discriminate against the community.

Justice Ibrahim was detained without trial in July 1990 and spent one month in solitary confinement in Kamiti Prison for giving legal advice and supporting those who were fighting for democracy.

In 1994, he was elected to the Law Society of Kenya Council for a term of one year. He was a founding trustee of the human rights organization, Mwangaza Trust, until 1994.

He was appointed as a Judge of the High Court on May 22, 2003, and first served at the Civil Division of the High Court, Milimani, Nairobi from June until July 2003, when he was transferred to the Commercial Division of the High Court at Milimani.

Justice Mohamed Ibrahim Pulse Live Kenya

In 2004 he was appointed to the newly established Judicial Review and Constitutional Division of the High Court, where he remained until he was transferred to the Eldoret High Court in January 2006.

Justice Ibrahim was the Resident Judge at Eldoret between 2007 and 2009 where he heard matters for the entire North Rift Valley, occasionally assisting the High Court Kisii.

In July 2009, he was transferred to the High Court at Mombasa, where he also served as Resident Judge until he was then elevated to the Supreme Court of Kenya.

He is the Chairperson of the Judiciary Committee on Elections having been appointed on August 16, 2021, by the Chief Justice.