I will be David to Judiciary's Goliath, pastor says at CJ interview
But the more controversial of her statements was that she would lock the media out of the courtroom except in situations where the litigants were comfortable with the coverage/KEVIN GITAU
By OLIVE BURROWS, NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 13 – A giggling Lucy Wanja Julius on Tuesday became the ninth hopeful to interview for the job of Chief Justice and the last of the two female candidates to have applied.
The member of the Commission for University Education – who doubles up as a pastor – was however not oblivious of her chances at clinching the job given, as the Attorney General put it, her competitors lapped her twice over in experience but like King David, she exuded confidence that she would beat the odds.
"First and foremost I am a believer in David. When the King of Israel could not rule in justice, God sent a prophet to a man called Jesse. There were so many sons in the house but Jesse decided to throw one out, actually he did not shortlist that person and God says bring him, I want him here. He is the person I have anointed and this son who had not been included in the list of people to be anointed by his own father actually is the one who killed Goliath and also brought mighty victories for Israel… and I believe today I am David, I am the person who will kill Goliath in the Judiciary."
"This revelation is very old time," she told the Judicial Service Commission, "it came to me when I was only 10-years-old."
Ironically, she blamed her incomplete application on her last minute decision to apply for the job.
"My application came the very last day when you extended… I have been dreaming about it for very many years except that when the advertisement came, I thought it wasn't my time but that morning, I woke up and I had a passion. Right here in my heart I knew this was the day."
READ: Deadline for CJ applications extended by a day
Her experience as a former NARC-Kenya Chief Executive Officer and as part of former President Mwai Kibaki's 'Kibaki Tena' campaign team on his second run for office, she said, made her uniquely qualified for the job of Chief Justice.
"I have also experience in the political arena. Not as a politician, but (as) somebody who has understanding of how politicians work. So I can be able to work very well with election petitions. I know some of the secrets of the politicians. I get very very useful in that area… That is something that many judges would not have because they only thing they have is the papers that are presented."
A statement she later withdrew all the while being tickled by it, "I withdraw for my own safety," she said before breaking into laughter.
But the more controversial of her statements was that she would lock the media out of the courtroom except in situations where the litigants were comfortable with the coverage.
OLIVE BURROWS With a decade of storytelling under her belt, Olive Burrows has been with Capital FM for the last four years and perhaps most notably interviewed US President Barack Obama. Committed to asking the hard questions and telling the story in the most engaging way possible, she has also interviewed Melinda Gates, a UK Minister and severally had the opportunity to sit across from President Uhuru Kenyatta and address the pressing issues of the day. Other notables she has had occasion to seek answers from are UN Secretary General António Guterres and John Kerry in his time as US Secretary of State.
Other articles from OLIVE BURROWS
Lucy Wanja Julius interviewed for CJ
Makau, Ringera, JB back in the running for Chief Justice
Nambuye, Wanja only females among 14 applicants for CJ's post
Matiangi names new University Councils as learning resumes
Pastor Ng'ang'a locked up again pending bail ruling
Ex- military boss Julius Karangi named as KAA Chairman
Media regulator decries assault of journalists by government actors
Kenyans more optimistic as they usher in the New Year