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Justice Eric Ogolla is the new Principal Judge of the High Court of Kenya.

Ogolla, who is the current Eldoret High Court Presiding Judge, was on Thursday, September 15, 2022 elected by other judges in an election exercise conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Justice Ogolla is the third Principal Judge elected under the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.

Ogolla takes over from Lady Justice Lydia Achode who was elevated to the Court of Appeal. The Principal judge will serve a 5-year non-renewable term.

He garnered 38 votes out of 58, beating two other contestants in an election by High Court judges across the country.

Justice Ogolla vows to work for judges

In his acceptance speech, the new Principal Judge promised to establish efficient lines of communication between his office and judges of the court while being responsive to the needs of the judges by setting up a forum for efficiently addressing issues affecting them.

Justice Ogolla will oversee the overall administration and management of the court as well as ensure the orderly and prompt conduct of its business.

His other roles as a Principal Judge will be the formation of a bench, in consultation with the Chief Justice, among other duties as may be assigned by the CJ.