Justice Mugure Thande Who Slammed Brakes On Finance Act 2023 Transferred To Malindi

• Chief Justice Martha Koome has sanctioned several reshuffles in the High Courts in the country
• Several judges have been moved out of the Nairobi capital, including Justice Mugure Thande whose new station is the Malindi High Court
• Lady Justice Hedwig Ong'undi of Milimani's Constitutional and Human Rights Division was moved to the Nakuru High Court

Nairobi - High Court judge Mugure Thande now has her new station in Malindi, Kilifi county.

Thande who presided over the Constitutional and Human Rights Division at the Milimani Law Courts will move to the Malindi Law Courts.

Reshuffle of judicial officers

She is on record pausing the implementation of the Finance Act 2023 which a host of groups led by litigious activist Okiya Omtatah had challenged.

Her new station is the Malindi High Court.

Taking her place at the Milimani Law Courts is Justice Chacha Mwita.

Others affected by the reshuffle include Lady Justice Diana Kavedza who has been moved to the Kibra and Kahawa Law Courts.

Kavedza was stationed at the Milimani Criminal Division.

Justice David Majanja who Chief Justice Martha Koome picked to lead a bench of three judges charged with hearing the petition against the Finance Act 2023 has been moved to the Civil Division, coming from the Commercial and Tax Division.

Another notable name is Lady Justice Hedwig Ong'undi of Milimani's Constitutional and Human Rights Division; she has been moved to the Nakuru High Court.

Justice Hillary Chemitei has been posted at the Milimani Family Division, coming from the Nakuru High Court.

Milimani's Lady Justice Maureen Odero has been posted to Nyeri High Court as the Presiding Judge.

Justice Florence Muchemi will now preside over the Thika High Court, coming from the Nyeri High Court.

Lady Justice Patricia Gichohi also has the Nakuru High Court as her new station.

3-judge bench for finance law petition

This comes weeks after the jury to hear the petition challenging the finance law was set by Chief Justice Martha Koome.

The three-judge bench comprising justices David Majanja, Lawrence Mogambi and Christine Meori will proceed to set a date for the petition's mention.

Majanja is the presiding judge in the case.

The petition filed by Omtatah and six others was initially handled by Thande, who issued the first injunction on the finance law on June 30.

While issuing the conservatory orders, Mugure set July 5 as the date when further directions would be given regarding the petition.

Until then, the finance law stood suspended.

On July 10, the judge dismissed the plea by the government to have the injunction lifted.

In her ruling, Mugure argued that if the orders were lifted, then there was danger in rendering the case an academic exercise.

She stated that the petitioners had raised serious constitutional issues that required determination by more than one judge.

"The petitioners have proved that they have a prima facie case....there's merit in granting conservatory orders," the judge noted.

She then referred the matter to the chief justice, who responded by naming the judges.