Martha Koome: Women’s Right Campaigner That Saved Kenyan Democracy

Martha Koome, the head of the seven-member panel that solidified the victory of Ruto Williams in Kenyan general election that was conducted on 9 August, 2022. After the presidential election the main opposition, Raila Odinga cited electoral malpractices, when the case reached to Supreme Court she gave her verdict which widely is the voice of the people. Preserving democracy in Africa seems very impossible because top politicians always find their way to assault the people’s institutions, from there other African countries can learn from Koome’s courage and boldness to allow democracy to win a territory where it is largely unusual.

Kenyan most senior judge, Martha Koome appointed in May last year by the outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta after she came out outstanding amongst other candidates, born in 1960, three years before the end of colonial rule, she grew up in Meru in rural eastern Kenya in a polygamous family, she recounted her experience by saying “I am a villager in the truest sense. My parents were peasant farmers and we were 18 children from two mothers. So, for all of us, especially girls- it was a struggle to overcome the odds.” The early start was hard for the future Supreme Court judge, the odds were on her side but never deterred her.

She has become an active participant on children and gender rights also played a role in drafting Kenya’s 2010 constitution, in particular the Bill of Rights, stood out. She has also served as African Union’s Committee on the Rights and Welfare of Children. She started her legal associate in 1986 having graduated from University of Nairobi in 1986, forming her own law firm as managing partner in 1993 in course of her active legal practice she became famous for representing political detainees during the regime of President Daniel arap Moi. She was active and played a role in 1980s to repeal Section 2A of the constitution which made the country a one-party system.

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Largely willing to ever take women case within marriage especially property dominated cases often give men heavy hands in ownership, in a system that is difficult to get justice for women she stood out. In emphasizing the importance of family and keen for laws to take course she noted “took care of families because families are the foundation of the society”. A founding member of the Federation of Women Lawyers rendering pro-bono to the victims of gender and sexual violence in Kenya, championing all these course have been at the forefront of her legal practice.

Martha Koome coming at the limelight and can be able to serve as a role model to younger generation, where honesty, credibility and accountability is possible, her emergence is a good thing for the future of democracy in Africa, a place where Supreme Court has been used as an instrument of oppression and denial of justice and against the will of the people. Koome, has also described herself as a good team player and believed through food they can achieve peaceful meetings of the mind she noted this “ food helps people talk nicely… so we will have a couple of retreats, eating to understand what is the problem”.