THE nomination of Willy Mutunga and Nancy Baraza to the positions of Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice was received well both within the government and the civil society. 
Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Mutula Kilonzo congratulated the Judicial Service Commission saying it demonstrated that it respects the public mood and desire for change.
Mutula said when he went to university, Mutunga was doing his masters and was his mentor. Baraza on the other hand was Mutula’s student. “The JSC has lived to its expectations; the public didn’t want the judges… you have seen it yourselves all through. The public has long wanted all judges to go home and its only us politicians who compromised by coming up with the vetting mechanism,” he added.
Civil society leaders lauded the nomination as a historic indication that the old system is crumbling and giving way to the reformers to take charge and steer the country into the new a direction. They were particularly impressed that both Mutunga and Baraza come from outside the judiciary.
Kituo Cha Sheria boss Pricilla Nyokabi said JSC did well in appreciating that no meaningful reforms would have come from members of the existing judiciary. She said not only did JSC factor this bit and that the academic and professional credentials of the two cannot be questioned. “New broom sweeps clean. We are glad that JSC appreciates this and has given confidence to Kenyans that the new institutions are independent and mean total good for the new Kenya,” Nyokabi said.
International Centre for Policy and Conflict welcomed the nomination of the two saying they both have outstanding reform credentials and have always stood for the public interest and demonstrated courage in the fight for change. “We are urging Parliament to engage approval process with sobriety. It is to the future interest of this country that a progressive judiciary is established that serves people of Kenya and not individual interests,” ICPC’s director of programmes Mwaura Nderi said.
Maendeleo ya Wanawake boss Rukia Subbow welcomed the nominations, but questioned the trend where women always have to be number two when they are equally qualified. “Do we always have to come number two when the constitution grants us equality and when more often than not we have to struggle three times just to get to the men’s level? This is a very big concern for us,” she said.
Describing Mutunga an "excellent choice", Kenya Human Rights Commission deputy boss Betty Murungi said his nomination is “the beginning of an era of enlightenment for Kenya’s judiciary”.
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