She's back: Anne Amadi swaps Nairobi for Arusha, takes seat on East African Court of Justice

On the morning of 7 March 2026, Anne Amadi raised her right hand and took an oath in Arusha, Tanzania, at the 25th Ordinary Summit of the East African Community.

She was being sworn in as a judge of the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), the regional court that handles disputes between member states, trade battles, and human rights cases across the bloc.

For anyone who has followed Kenya's legal landscape, her name is one that needs little introduction.

For a decade, Amadi was the person running the Kenyan Judiciary's operations behind the scenes.

As Chief Registrar (the top administrative officer of the courts), she handled the budget, oversaw infrastructure projects, and managed thousands of staff, keeping the entire machine running.

She held that role for ten years before stepping down on January 12, 2024.

Her career goes back much further, though.

She started as a State Counsel in 1987, moved into the Judiciary as a District Magistrate in 1991, spent six years on the bench, then crossed into private practice before joining FIDA Kenya (the Federation of Women Lawyers), where she headed litigation.

She holds a law degree from the University of Nairobi and a Master's in Criminal Justice from Boston University.

After leaving the Chief Registrar's office, Amadi remained active in public life.

In early 2025, she was in the running for Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), one of Kenya's most high-profile public sector appointments.

She made the shortlist and sat through public interviews at the College of Insurance in Nairobi.

The East African Court of Justice serves as the region's principal legal arbitrator.

With the EAC now comprising eight member states, disputes are a regular feature of regional life: businesses locked in cross-border trade disagreements, governments facing questions over Treaty compliance, and citizens bringing cases under the regional human rights framework.

Those cases land at the EACJ in Arusha.

Amadi will now be one of the judges deciding them, a shift from the administrative responsibilities she held for the past decade to active judicial adjudication.

Kenya has maintained a consistent presence at the EACJ, and Amadi's appointment continues that. She joins Justice Kathurima M'Inoti, who sits in the court's Appellate Division.

Her arrival also follows the conclusion of Justice Charles Nyachae's term, maintaining Kenya's representation across the court's divisions.

She was sworn in alongside two other new judges: Abdullahi Warsamme from Somalia and Digo Stephen Abraham from South Sudan.

The swearing-in took place during a summit that brought several leadership changes across the bloc.

President William Ruto handed over the EAC chairmanship to Uganda's Yoweri Museveni.

Tanzania's Stephen Patrick Mbundi was named the new Secretary-General, taking over from Kenya's Veronica Nduva.

The EACJ has a direct bearing on how regional trade, movement, and rights disputes are resolved as East Africa continues to integrate.

With the community now at eight member states, the court's caseload and influence are only growing.

Amadi brings to the role a background that covers litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and a decade of managing one of Kenya's most complex public institutions.

Her appointment ensures Kenya retains a voice in the legal framework that governs how the region functions day to day.