Kenya a model for Africa on gender equality in law, says CJ Koome

Chief Justice Martha Koome has hailed the gender inclusivity journey in the country’s justice system evolution.

CJ Koome, Kenya’s first-ever female President of the Supreme Court, while reflecting on the legal history of the country, noted the milestones made in recognizing women leadership in the legal system.

The CJ made the remarks in a speech read by Supreme Court Judge Njoki Ndung’u at the International Dialogue on Women in Leadership in Law themed: “Women Leading in Shaping Justice Across Generations.”

Koome holds that Kenya is the African continent’s mirror when it comes to women in leadership in the justice sector.

“Allow me to begin by reflecting on Kenya’s legal history as it relates to gender equality and access to justice — a journey that mirrors the evolution of many legal systems across Africa. It is a story of exclusion and inclusion, of challenge and transformation,” CJ Koome noted in the speech.

Memory Kachambwa, Executive Director, Feminist Network (FEMNET), added: “Young leaders are not merely the promise of tomorrow; they are the driving force of today, actively carrying the mantle of change. It is through their vision and dedication that progress is forged. Furthermore, we firmly believe that when women lead, justice prevails. Their unique perspectives and approaches are essential in shaping a more equitable and just society for all.”

Also gracing the three-day conference was Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo who said;

“As an advocate who has been in the profession for almost two decades, I have seen the law operate as both a sword and a shield—a means to protect rights, and regrettably, at times, a tool to entrench exclusion. I have seen women rise, but I have also seen them forced to work twice as hard, speak twice as loud, and climb twice as steep a hill just to be heard—let alone lead.”

The lawyers’ body boss reminded women in the gathering that they are a product of many generations of struggle and that behind every woman who sits on the bench, leads a law firm, drafts a constitution, or lectures in a law faculty, are women who broke barriers in silence, who challenged unjust systems without recognition, and who paved the path with pain and purpose.

She added that it is hence important to honor the sacrifices of those who came ahead by widening the path for those who will come after the present.

At independence in 1963, Kenya’s legal profession was overwhelmingly male. Courtrooms and legal offices rarely featured women, and the idea of a woman judge was almost unimaginable. Yet trailblazers emerged.

In 1967, Effie Owuor became Kenya’s first female State Counsel. Three years later, she became the first female magistrate, and in 1982, the first woman judge of the High Court.

Her historic rise culminated in 1998 when she became the first woman appointed to the Court of Appeal. For years, she was the sole female voice on the High Court bench — until the early 1990s, when Justices Joyce Aluoch and Mary Ang’awa joined her.

By 1993, women made up only three of the Judiciary’s judges, leaving the legal system largely devoid of women’s perspectives.

The tide began to turn with the 2010 Constitution, which anchored principles of equality and inclusion. Since then, women’s representation has grown significantly; currently women comprise 42% of judges in superior courts, 78% of Registrars, and 58% of Magistrates. This is not just progress in numbers — it signals a more responsive and representative justice system.

Pioneers like Justices Owuor, Aluoch, and Ang’awa laid the groundwork, as did trailblazing women in legal leadership such as Raychelle Omamo, the first female Chairperson of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).

These women rose through the ranks while lifting others, advocating for justice and inclusion, and nurturing a culture of mentorship.

The Kenya gender equality campaigns has fruits to show in the justice leadership system, thanks to the efforts that went ahead, according to CJ Koome.

“Women now lead across the sector — including Justice Philomena Mbete Mwilu as Deputy Chief Justice, Winifridah Mokaya as Chief Registrar of the Judiciary, Ms. Dorcas Oduor as Kenya’s first female Attorney General, and Faith Odhiambo as the second female President of the Law Society of Kenya, a testament of what becomes possible when barriers are dismantled and merit is given room to flourish,” said the CJ.

The young and veteran women in leadership convention in Nairobi brought together feminist lawyers, justice sector leaders, and advocates from across Africa to spotlight and strengthen women’s leadership in justice space.