39 Facts About Willy Mutunga

Willy Mutunga is an active member of the Justice Leadership Group.

Willy Mutunga is the retired Chief Justice of Kenya and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya.

Mutunga's father, Mzee Mutunga Mbiti, worked as a tailor in the small town of Kilonzo, Nzambani in Kitui District.

Willy Mutunga attended Ithookwe Primary School before proceeding to Kitui School for his Kenya Certificate of Education exams.

Willy Mutunga was the first student to score six points in the exams, earning him a place at the Strathmore College for his "A" levels.

Willy Mutunga received a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Dar Es Salaam in 1971 and a Master of Laws from the University of Dar es Salaam in 1974.

Willy Mutunga joined the law faculty at the University of Nairobi as a lecturer, becoming the first indigenous Kenyan to teach constitutional law at the university level.

Willy Mutunga was sworn into office on 20 June 2011.

Willy Mutunga has a son and a daughter from his first marriage.

Willy Mutunga had two other sons with different women in 1993 and 1999.

Willy Mutunga became the general secretary of USU in 1979, months after Daniel arap Moi succeeded Jomo Kenyatta as president and began tightening his grip on power.

Willy Mutunga immediately rallied other USU officials around a campaign for the reinstatement of Prof.

Willy Mutunga's arrest threw light on the activities of a seemingly burgeoning Kenyan underground in the repressive 1980s.

Willy Mutunga was dismissed from his University of Nairobi job.

Willy Mutunga went into exile in Canada after his release on 20 October 1983.

In 1992, Willy Mutunga joined the ranks of the country's pro-democracy Young Turks, which included, among others, Paul Muite, James Orengo, Kiraitu Murungi, Gitobu Imanyara, and Raila Odinga.

Willy Mutunga became the chairman of the non-governmental Kenya Human Rights Commission, which he later served as executive director.

Willy Mutunga served on the boards of various organisations, including the Buffalo Human Rights Center at the University at Buffalo Law School, the State University of New York.

Willy Mutunga served as vice-chairman of the Law Society of Kenya from 1991 to 1993 and chairman from 1993 to 1995.

Willy Mutunga convened the breakfast meetings of the then opposition stalwarts, Mwai Kibaki, Charity Ngilu, and Michael Wamalwa, to forge a common alliance ahead of the 2002 elections.

Willy Mutunga declined an offer to serve as the chairperson of NARC, saying that his main interest was to unite the opposition and not to join active politics.

Ahead of the divisive 2007 presidential campaign, Willy Mutunga threw his weight behind Odinga, saying "I am convinced Kenya's transition needs Raila as the president of this country".

In 2004, as the intra-elite rivalry in the National Alliance of Rainbow Coalition and fissures over the constitutional negotiations turned perilous ahead of the 2005 referendum, Willy Mutunga joined the Ford Foundation in Nairobi as a human rights programme officer.

When he was participating in the donor sector, Willy Mutunga is said to have grown ideologically intolerant, tagging and parodying those of his former colleagues in civil society and the academy aligned to the Kibaki government as "traitors".

At a July 2010 meeting of the Bunge La Mwananchi movement, one participant alleged that Willy Mutunga had "intruded into the movement's affairs eroding the ideals set by the founders and causing needless friction and infighting amongst the rank and file".

Willy Mutunga was among twelve applicants, and one of the ten shortlisted, for the position of chief justice.

Willy Mutunga's appointment was well received by major sections of the Kenyan public.

Judicial activism would undo the visions of many Kenyans regarding the new constitution should Willy Mutunga carry his passions to their final station.

Willy Mutunga started as a practitioner of African traditional religion but in 2001 was baptised a Protestant and subsequently became a Roman Catholic and then a Muslim, although he still follows his ancestors.

Willy Mutunga says it was his ancestors who instructed him in 2003 to wear the earring as a connection to them so that they can protect him.

Willy Mutunga has a daughter and son from his first marriage.

On 16 December 2009, Willy Mutunga filed for divorce from his second wife, Professor Beverle Michele Lax, whom he married in San Mateo, California on 20 July 2000.

Willy Mutunga filed an answer and a counter-petition on 13 May 2010.

Willy Mutunga denied that he would exercise such influence and asked the public to keenly follow the matter if he were appointed.

The court unanimously dismissed the challenge on 30 March 2013, with Willy Mutunga reading the decision of the court.

Willy Mutunga announced in 2015 that he would retire early from his office to give the country sufficient time to recruit a new Chief Justice to avoid the crisis that might arise if the August 2017 General Election is held without a substantive holder of the office of Chief Justice.

True to his word, Willy Mutunga retired on his 69th birthday on 16 June 2016, handing over the leadership of the Supreme Court of Kenya to Justice Mohamed Ibrahim who is the senior-most of the four Judges remaining in the Court.

Willy Mutunga announced during his retirement speech that he had accepted an appointment by the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, as a Commonwealth Special Envoy to Maldives, to try to bring the political leadership there together, and to aid in the process of constitutional and political transition.

Willy Mutunga's overriding mandate would be to 'support a sustainable political dialogue process leading to a stronger climate of pluralism and inclusive elections in 2018, and to encourage the strengthening of democratic institutions and culture in Maldives'.