Former High Court Judge Justice Joseph Mbalu Mutava has died, in a development that has left his family, friends and members of the legal fraternity mourning.
According to family sources, Mutava died while being rushed to Makindu for treatment. His body was later transferred to Lee Funeral Home in Nairobi as the family began making arrangements for his final rites.
Mutava was the husband of Kibwezi East MP Jessica Mbalu and was a distinguished legal practitioner whose time on the bench earned him recognition within Kenya’s judicial and legal circles.
News of his death has triggered an outpouring of grief, with leaders and residents describing him as an accomplished lawyer, a man of the people and a pillar of justice.
In a condolence message, a local leader said the people of Thange Ward had lost a distinguished son, while Makueni County and the country had lost a great legal mind.
“We have lost a great leader and legal pillar. Our prayers are with the family during these difficult times.”
The message conveyed condolences to Jessica Mbalu, the Mbalu family, the people of Kibwezi East and Makueni County, as well as the wider judicial and legal fraternity.
Mutava’s controversial exit from the bench
Mutava’s judicial career ended following a tribunal established to investigate complaints about his conduct while serving as a High Court judge.
The tribunal, chaired by then Chief Justice David Maraga, recommended his removal from office in September 2016 after finding that three allegations against him had been proved to the required standard. The allegations included the irregular allocation of a judicial review case involving businessman Kamlesh Pattni to himself and proceeding with the matter while the Judicial Service Commission was investigating complaints concerning his conduct.
The case centred on Judicial Review Application No. 305 of 2012, involving Pattni, a prominent figure in the Goldenberg scandal. The tribunal also considered allegations that Mutava had sought to influence another judge in a separate case.
Mutava challenged the tribunal’s findings before the Supreme Court. In March 2019, the Supreme Court dismissed his petition, upholding the tribunal’s recommendation. The court noted that the tribunal had found allegations of gross misconduct proved to the required standard.
