The High Court on Tuesday awarded six judges Ksh126 million after ruling that their rights were violated when former President Uhuru Kenyatta failed to appoint them as Court of Appeal judges and other ranks in 2022.

The six judges Joel Ngugi, George Odunga, Aggrey Muchelule, Weldon Korir, Evans Makori, and Judith Omange were left out after Uhuru appointed 34 of the 40 candidates nominated by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to the Court of Appeal, Environment and Lands Court, and the Employment and Labour Relations Court. 

In a ruling delivered by Justice Chacha Mwita, the judge took into account the humiliation and mental disturbance that the six endured following the decision of the former President not to appoint them to their positions as recommended by the JSC.

"The constitution does not give him discretion when it comes to appointing Judges. What he(former President) did left the six in an awkward position full of anxiety about what was happening and why they would not be appointed," Mwita stated in his ruling.

Mwita also took further issue with the actions of Uhuru, indicating that the public statements and insinuations on the suitability of the six judges amounted to violation of their rights as provided by the law. 

''There can be no worse violation than when a president of a country makes public statements and innuendos casting aspersions of the suitability of state officers to serve in the position they had been recommended,'' he added.

The former head of state declined to appoint the 6 judges citing various allegations that he did not reveal despite the public interest on the matter.

The six were, however, promoted to their positions as per the recommendations of the JSC in September 2022, when President William Ruto took office, through an Executive Order.