Hon. Justice Mohammed Khadhar Ibrahim, a distinguished Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya, has died after a long illness, the Judiciary confirmed on Wednesday evening. He was 69.
Justice Ibrahim passed away at home in Kenya. Sources close to the family indicated he had recently been receiving medical treatment abroad before doctors advised he return home for his final days.
Appointed to the Supreme Court in June 2011, Justice Ibrahim was a pivotal figure in Kenya’s judiciary. He served as the acting President of the Supreme Court in 2016 following the early retirement of then-Chief Justice Dr. Willy Mutunga, pending the appointment of a substantive replacement.
His career was marked by historic milestones and moments of intense public scrutiny. In 2013, he was one of six Supreme Court judges who unanimously dismissed a petition by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga challenging the election of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Justice Ibrahim’s path to the bench was not without challenge. The Kenya Judges and Magistrates Vetting Board initially found him unfit to serve in 2012, citing delays in delivering judgments during his tenure as a High Court judge. However, after a fresh round of vetting, he was deemed suitable and was subsequently confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice.
Born on January 1, 1956, Justice Ibrahim was a trailblazer for the Kenyan-Somali community. On January 11, 1983, he became the first member of that community to be admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
Before his judicial career, he was deeply involved in legal aid and human rights work. He served with Kituo Cha Sheria, was a board member of the Legal Education and Aid Programme (LEAD), and was a founding trustee of the human rights organization Mwangaza Trust.
At the time of his passing, Justice Ibrahim was also serving as a member of the Judicial Service Commission, appointed in June 2022, and chaired several key committees, including the Judiciary Committee on Elections.
He held a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi and a Diploma from the Kenya School of Law.
The judiciary, legal fraternity, and the nation are expected to mourn the loss of a jurist whose career spanned decades of Kenya’s evolving constitutional history. Funeral arrangements are yet to be announced.
