NAIROBI, Kenya — Chief Justice Martha Koome has announced the death of Court of Appeal Judge Fredrick Ochieng Andago, hailing him as a “towering figure” in Kenya’s legal landscape and a key architect of the country’s commercial law jurisprudence.
In a statement, Koome, who also chairs the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), expressed her condolences to Andago’s family, friends, colleagues, and the wider Judiciary.
“We stand in solidarity with his family, friends, and the entire Judiciary community during this difficult period of mourning. We call for sensitivity and compassion as we share in this collective grief,” she said.
Justice Andago joined the Judiciary in 2003 as a High Court judge, serving across various divisions and regions including the Civil Division, Kitale, Kakamega, the Criminal Division, the Commercial and Admiralty Division, and Kisumu.
In 2022, he was elevated to the Court of Appeal, where he continued shaping jurisprudence, particularly in commercial law.
Before his judicial career, Andago had nearly two decades of practice at Kaplan & Stratton Advocates, one of Kenya’s leading law firms, where he built a strong reputation as a seasoned commercial law advocate.
At the time of his passing, Andago chaired the Court Annexed Mediation (CAM) Taskforce, a flagship Judiciary initiative aimed at easing case backlogs and promoting alternative dispute resolution (ADR) under Article 159(2)(c) of the Constitution.
“He will be fondly remembered as a towering figure in the development of Kenya’s commercial law jurisprudence and as a strong advocate for the promotion of alternative dispute resolution,” Koome said.
Since its rollout in 2016, court-annexed mediation has grown steadily, with milestones including the 2022 Court Annexed Mediation Rules that introduced recognition of private mediation agreements, making the system more flexible and accessible.
Justice Andago’s passing is a blow to Kenya’s Judiciary, particularly in the ongoing push to entrench ADR as a mainstream path to justice.
