Aaron Ringera
Encyclopedia
Aaron Gitonga Ringera is a Kenya
n lawyer
who served as a judge and as the former director of the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission (KACC).
. He also holds a Diploma in International and Comparative Law of Human Rights from Strasbourg
. France
and studied for a Diploma in Law and Practice at the Kenya School of Law
. He worked as a lecturer at the University of Nairobi, a High Court of Kenya judge and a judge of the Court of Appeal. He has also been the Solicitor-General of Kenya.
He became the director of Kenya Anti-Corruption Authority (KACA) in March 1999, succeeding the first director John Harun Mwau. The High Court ruled on December 22, 2000 that KACA was unconstitutional. As a result, the head of Civil Service Richard Leakey
asked Ringera to resign, which he did in January 2001. KACA was succeeded by the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission, which was established in 2003. Ringera was appointed as the director of KACC in August 2004, despite opposition from the Liberal Democratic Party
, which was part of the NARC
coalition government. The director of KACC had the highest salary for a civil servant in Kenya, and enjoyed better salary than the President.
Ringera was reappointed by President Mwai Kibaki
for a second five year term on August 31, 2009. However, two weeks later the Kenyan parliament voted against the appointment, stating it was not legal as it should had been approved by the parliament It was the first time in Kenyan history, when the parliament overruled the president. As a result, Ringera resigned on September 30, 2009. Ringera has answered his critics by stating that he did not have powers to prosecute those accused of corruption.
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who served as a judge and as the former director of the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission (KACC).
Career
Ringera has masters and bachelors of law degrees from the University of NairobiUniversity of Nairobi
The University of Nairobi is the largest university in Kenya. Although its history as an educational institution goes back to 1956, it did not become an independent university until 1970 when the University of East Africa was split into three independent universities: Makerere University in...
. He also holds a Diploma in International and Comparative Law of Human Rights from Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
. France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and studied for a Diploma in Law and Practice at the Kenya School of Law
Kenya School of Law
The Kenya School Of Law is currently the only Bar school in Kenya. After their completion of an Undergraduate Degrees in Law from a recognized university, students attend the Kenya School of law to be prepared for admission to the Kenyan Bar....
. He worked as a lecturer at the University of Nairobi, a High Court of Kenya judge and a judge of the Court of Appeal. He has also been the Solicitor-General of Kenya.
He became the director of Kenya Anti-Corruption Authority (KACA) in March 1999, succeeding the first director John Harun Mwau. The High Court ruled on December 22, 2000 that KACA was unconstitutional. As a result, the head of Civil Service Richard Leakey
Richard Leakey
Richard Erskine Frere Leakey is a politician, paleoanthropologist and conservationist. He is second of the three sons of the archaeologists Louis Leakey and Mary Leakey, and is the younger brother of Colin Leakey...
asked Ringera to resign, which he did in January 2001. KACA was succeeded by the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission, which was established in 2003. Ringera was appointed as the director of KACC in August 2004, despite opposition from the Liberal Democratic Party
Liberal Democratic Party (Kenya)
The Liberal Democratic Party was a political party in Kenya.In the general election held on 27 December 2002, the party was a partner in the National Rainbow Coalition, which won 56.1 % of the popular vote and 125 out of 212 elected seats. The party itself took 59 of these seats...
, which was part of the NARC
National Rainbow Coalition
The National Rainbow Coalition was a coalition of Kenyan political parties in power from 2002 and 2005 when it fell apart in a controversy between its wings about a constitutional referendum.-Formation:...
coalition government. The director of KACC had the highest salary for a civil servant in Kenya, and enjoyed better salary than the President.
Ringera was reappointed by President Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki is the current and third President of the republic of Kenya.Kibaki was previously Vice President of Kenya for ten years from 1978–1988 and also held cabinet ministerial positions, including a widely acclaimed stint as Minister for Finance , Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for...
for a second five year term on August 31, 2009. However, two weeks later the Kenyan parliament voted against the appointment, stating it was not legal as it should had been approved by the parliament It was the first time in Kenyan history, when the parliament overruled the president. As a result, Ringera resigned on September 30, 2009. Ringera has answered his critics by stating that he did not have powers to prosecute those accused of corruption.