President William Ruto yesterday led the nation in mourning the late Justice David Majanja who died on Monday in Nairobi Hospital where he was receiving treatment.

 Ruto who was joined by other leaders in sending their condolences to the family of the late Majanja paid a glowing tribute to the late describing him as a brilliant lawyer who joined the bench after an exemplary spell at the bar.  “I have learnt with great sorrow about the death of the Hon. David A S Majanja, who was the Judge of the High Court of Kenya and a member of the Judicial Service Commission. It has been evident for long that although fairly experienced, Hon. Majanja was at the beginning of a long and illustrious career, and this fact makes his death all the more tragic,” Ruto said.

 Chief Justice Martha Koome, eulogised Majanja as a towering figure in the development of the transformative post-2010 jurisprudence and a crucial pillar in the institution-building of the JSC and the Judiciary.  “The Judiciary and JSC family call 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. We will share more information in due course,” said Koome in a statement.

 And addressing a news conference yesterday, Koome said that throughout his years of service at the High Court and the JSC, Majanja was passionate about preserving the rule of law and ensuring the fair administration of justice. He dedicated his life to advancing these values, committed to applying the law fairly and impartially to ensure equal justice for all.

 At the JSC, she said that Majanja played a leading role in the development of various policies and programmes, including: The Judicial Service (Code of Conduct and Ethics) Regulations, 2020; Judiciary Human Resource Policies and Procedures Manual, Administrative Procedures for Declaration of Income, Assets and Liabilities, Regulations for handling Petitions and Complaints against Hon Judges; Training and Development Policy; Capacity Building programmes for Judges and Judicial Officers; Incentive Policy for the Judiciary; Data Policy for the Judiciary; and Caseload Data Policy for the Judiciary.

Memorial services

 She said, “The Judiciary, the JSC, and his family are working together on the funeral arrangements and the Judiciary will hold Closing of the File Proceedings along with other memorial services in his honour. The public will be kept informed of the planned funeral arrangements to provide an opportunity for those who wish to pay their last respects to the departed judge.”

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) also mourned the late judge terming him as a steadfast advocate who believed in a judiciary free from external influences and to ensure fair administration of justice.

 “His judgments consistently reflected upon a profound understanding of the law and unwavering dedication to fairness. He exuded great intellectual rigor and fair-mindedness and was instrumental in handling significant constitutional and human rights cases, bringing clarity and justice to complex issues,” said LSK.

 The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions also conveyed their condolences and mourned Majanja as “an outstanding judge, jurist, and Commissioner in JSC who served with utmost dedication and distinction.

 Majanja who was serving at the Milimani High Court Civil Division at the time of his death, died on Monday evening at the Nairobi Hospital where he underwent a successful surgery.

During his tenure, among the cases he presided on include the three High Court judge bench that declared President William Ruto’s housing levy unconstitutional in November 2023.