Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) chairperson Ahmed Isaack Hassan has defended his decision to seek appointment to the Court of Appeal barely a year after taking office.
He is among the candidates who appeared before the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) panel chaired by Chief Justice Martha Koome during interviews for the recruitment of Court of Appeal judges on Monday, January 12, 2026.
The ongoing exercise seeks to fill 15 vacancies in the country’s second-highest court, following the shortlisting of 35 candidates for interviews.
During the interview, Hassan was put to task over the brief duration of his tenure at the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) and asked to explain why he was seeking to exit the oversight body at this stage of his appointment.
In response, Hassan said he was appointed Ipoa chair on December 6, 2024, but clarified that his move was neither abrupt nor opportunistic.
He told the commission that, as an advocate, the pinnacle of one’s career is judicial service, noting that joining the bench has always been his highest professional ambition.
“As an advocate, I think the highest goal you want to be is to join the bench and become a judge,” Hassan said, adding that his professional journey has consistently placed him in roles reserved for advocates of significant standing and experience.
He explained that all the public offices he has held — including at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and now Ipoa — require advocates of the High Court of Kenya with a minimum of between 10 and 15 years’ experience.
According to Hassan, these roles were never alternatives to a judicial career but part of a broader trajectory in public service.
Hassan disclosed that his interest in the Court of Appeal is not new, noting that he first applied for the position in 2022.
“I had applied for the Court of Appeal in 2022. I was not lucky. I again applied in 2024 but the Gen Z thing happened and then it was cancelled,” he said.
“My highest ambition has always been to join the bench.”
The Ipoa chair further told the panel that he brings over 30 years of legal experience, cutting across local and international engagements, which he believes would add value to the appellate court.
He said his exposure to constitutional litigation, governance, and institutional leadership had equipped him with the temperament and perspective required of a Court of Appeal judge.
His appearance came on the first day of the interviews, which attracted a diverse pool of candidates drawn from the Bench, academia and legal practice.
Other candidates interviewed on Monday included Justice Oscar Amugo Angote, Justice Yuvinalis Maronga, constitutional law scholar Prof Migai Akech, and senior advocate Protas Saende.
The interviews are part of an ongoing recruitment process by the JSC to fill vacancies at the Court of Appeal, a court that plays a critical role in shaping Kenya’s jurisprudence and determining appeals from the High Court.
by JAMES GICHIGI
