Chief Justice Martha Koome has unveiled her deeply personal autobiography, 'Courting Courage', offering an unprecedented, unflinching look into her arduous journey from rural Meru to the absolute pinnacle of Kenya's judiciary.

The corridors of the Supreme Court are usually defined by stoic silence and rigid legal precedent. However, the release of the Chief Justice's memoirs injects a profoundly human, resilient narrative into the highest office of the land.

Martha Karambu Koome's ascent to become Kenya's first female Chief Justice is a masterclass in defiance. Born in 1960 in the modest village of Kithiu, her trajectory from a young, idealistic lawyer to the head of the third arm of government is chronicled with brutal honesty in her new book, published by Moran Publishers. This matters deeply because her story is inexorably intertwined with Kenya's own violent, chaotic struggle for multi-party democracy and constitutional reform. Her memoirs serve as both a historical ledger and a blueprint for institutional fortitude.

The Crucible of the 1980s

The autobiography dives heavily into the perilous political climate of the late 1980s and 1990s. As a young practitioner, Koome was unexpectedly thrust into the brutal crosshairs of the Daniel Arap Moi regime's crackdown on dissent.

• Defending Dissidents: She details her terrifying, high-stakes legal battles representing political detainees, including a desperate fight alongside Japheth Shamalla to save Raila Odinga.
• Institutional Reform: The book highlights her fierce advocacy for the repeal of Section 2A of the Constitution, a move that fundamentally birthed modern Kenyan democracy.
• Advocacy: Koome chronicles her foundational years leading FIDA (Federation of Women Lawyers), fighting entrenched patriarchal systems to secure basic human and gender rights.

Her reflections do not shy away from the immense personal toll exacted by challenging the state apparatus. She notes that navigating the intense misogyny of the legal profession required a specialized armor of competence and raw courage.

Navigating Modern Cyberbullying

The narrative transitions smoothly into her current battles. During the book's launch, which coincided with the Annual Human Rights Summit 2024, Koome addressed the relentless, technologically facilitated gender-based violence and cyberbullying she currently endures. She dismissed the organized online campaigns aimed at forcing her resignation as a mere "business model" designed to distract and defame.

Her tenure continues to walk a delicate regulatory tightrope, balancing an increasingly assertive executive branch with the fundamental necessity of judicial independence in East Africa's largest economy. Her defense of the High Court's protection of peaceful protestors during recent civil unrest solidifies her legacy as a constitutional purist.

"They can try to hound me out of office, but they will have to try something else. I am not moving."