Justice Oscar Angote has been elected the Presiding Judge of the Environment and Land Court (ELC).
Justice Angote won the non-renewable term after garnering 34 out of 49 votes cast on Friday. He will take over from Justice Samson Okong’o whose term is coming to an end.
Kenya Judiciary Academy Director and Supreme Court Judge, Dr Smokin Wanjala, was the Returning Officer.
Justice Angote becomes the second Presiding Judge since the Court was established over 10 years ago taking over from Justice Samson Okong’o who has served his term.
While giving his acceptance speech, Justice Angote noted that he was fully aware of the challenges he would be confronting which include a heavy caseload, the lack of digitalization of proceedings; inadequate training in specialized fields and the absence of a sustainable social dialogue with the stakeholders.
“My vision for the Environment and Land Court’ he said ‘is to have Judges look outward, beyond our role of resolving environment and land disputes. We should have a strategic priority to position the court as essential for good governance and administrative transparency, with a highly trained and motivated workforce” he said.
He added, ‘I will initiate programs that strengthen our professionalism through education and training. I will also ensure that Judges have more opportunities and assistance from within and without the country to develop the skills and the methods and operating frameworks required of a modern specialized court.’
Angote joined the Judiciary in 2012 and is currently serving at Milimani. He has previously served in a similar position in Malindi and Machakos.
Justice Okong’o was lauded for his leadership. “we have benefitted so much from your term. Your leadership, under difficult circumstances, was steady, assured and pragmatic”, Justice Angote observed, adding “I pledge to serve the ELC college of Judges at all times in a spirit of fidelity and commitment to the common good of the court.”
Justice Angote is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), World Commission on Environmental Law. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL B) degree from the University of Nairobi and Master of Laws (LLM) degree in Environmental Law from the same university.
He is currently a PhD candidate in Environmental Law at the Center for Advanced Studies in Environmental Law & Policy (CASELAP), University of Nairobi.
An ardent scholar, he has written and published various articles in journals and publications.
