Hon. Justice Philomena Mbete Mwilu, MGH
The Honourable Lady Justice Philomena Mbete Mwilu, MGH was appointed on 28th October 2016 as the 3rd Deputy Chief Justice and Vice President of the Supreme Court of Kenya. Lady Justice Mwilu is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with over 38 years of experience in the legal profession and holds both Bachelor and Master of Laws degrees from the University of Nairobi. She was admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya in 1984.
Lady Justice Mwilu was in private legal practice in various law firms in Nairobi for the first seven years following her admission to the Bar. Thereafter she ventured into the corporate world working as a Senior Legal Officer in insurance; Board Secretary in charge of the day-to-day running of a State Corporation in regulation; the Deputy Chairperson of the Energy Tribunal; and later as Director on the Board of the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company before being appointed a Puisne Judge in 2007.
Lady Justice Mwilu served in the Commercial Division of the High Court in Nairobi and later the High Court in Eldoret. She subsequently served at the Criminal Division High Court in Nairobi and thereafter was appointed to head the Environment and Land Division. In November 2012, she was appointed a Judge of Appeal where she served until her appointment as the Deputy Chief Justice.
As Vice-President of the Supreme Court of Kenya, Lady Justice Mwilu is responsible for the co-ordination of the overall performance and supervision of the Court and indeed the entire Judiciary. On 26th January 2017, Her Ladyship was appointed by to serve as the Judiciary Ombudsman.
On 3rd May, 2017 she was elected by her colleague Justices of the Supreme Court to represent them as a Commissioner at the Judicial Service Commission for a term of five years. Upon the retirement of Chief Justice Emeritus Hon. Mr. Justice David K. Maraga on 12th January, 2021, Lady Justice Mwilu assumed the Office of Chief Justice in acting capacity pending the recruitment and appointment of the current Chief Justice, Hon. Justice Martha Koome. The Hon. Deputy Chief Justice is the Chair of the Judiciary Management Committee.
In the discharge of her social responsibility, Lady Justice Mwilu is passionate about mentoring girls and boys in schools across the country, using her experience and example to promote positive, wholesome and healthy futures for young adults and especially the girl child in Kenya. For her service to society, the Deputy Chief Justice was decorated on 11th April, 2017 by the Head of State, H. E. Uhuru Kenyatta with the award of Moran of the Golden Heart.