BY SAM ALFAN.
High Court Judge David Majanja, a prolific and brave judicial officer, has died.
Majanja, an amiable and celebrated beacon of justice, took the final bow on Tuesday while undergoing treatment in Nairobi.
Chief Justice Martha Koome, who chairs the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), broke the news of Justice Majanja’s transition. “We are all heartbroken.”
“Justice Majanja will be remembered as a towering figure in the development of our transformation post-2010 jurisprudence and a crucial pillar on the institution-building of the JSC and the Judiciary,” Justice Koome said.
“We stand in solidarity with the family, friends and the entire Judiciary and the JSC community during this very difficult period of mourning,” the Chief Justice said.
“The Judiciary and the JSC family calls for sensitivity and compassion as we come to terms with this sudden loss and share in grief with one another and with the people of Kenya,” Justice Koome said.
Justice Majanja, who was admitted to the bar in 1998, served briefly in private practice before his appointment to the bench in 2011.
He was among the newly-recruited Judges who rekindled the High Court with timely and well-reasoned judgments. He earned many accolades from his peers, juniors and seniors in equal measure for bringing sobriety and decorum to court proceedings.
His colleagues on the bench had confidence in his leadership and compassion. They elected him to the JSC as their representative, where he was serving his second term.
Justice Majanja previously served in the Constitutional and Judicial Review Division, the Civil Division and the Commercial and Tax Division in Nairobi. Thereafter, he was posted to Homa Bay, Migori, Kisumu and Kisii.
In his quest for academic excellence, Justice Majanja qualified for a Master of Laws (LLM) on International Trade and Investment Law in Africa from the University of Pretoria (South Africa) in 2005.
Justice Majanja will be remembered for his involvement in public interest litigation. He was Assisting Counsel in the Commission of Inquiry into Post-Election Violence (the Tribunal appointed by retired President Mwai Kibaki to investigate the 1997/98 Post-Election clashes).
At the JSC, Justice Majanja chaired the Administration of Justice Committee and sat on the Judiciary Rules Committee. Previously, he was a member and later Vice-chairperson of the Judiciary Working Committee on Election Preparations (JWCEP).
