Supreme Court Judge Mohammed Khadhar Ibrahim passes on
He had been admitted at Aga Khan Hospital following his return from India, where he had gone for treatment
Supreme Court Judge Mohammed Khadhar Ibrahim passed away on Wednesday, December 17, at the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi.
He had been admitted at the hospital following his return from India, where he had gone for treatment.
The judge had been on terminal leave since last month ahead of his mandatory retirement on January 1, 2026.
His 23-year career at the Judiciary has been marked by institutional reform, jurisprudential leadership, and a legacy of advancing access to justice.
He was known for his strong advocacy for minority rights and commitment to social justice.
Mohammed Ibrahim joined the judiciary in 2003 as a judge of the High Court of Kenya.
In June 2011, he was appointed to the inaugural bench of the Supreme Court, becoming the pioneer judge in the Muslim community to reach the nation's highest court.
He previously worked with Kituo Cha Sheria and was a member of the Board of the Legal Education and Aid Programme (LEAD). He was also a founding trustee of human rights organisation, Mwangaza Trust, a position he held until 1994.
During the struggle for the second liberation, he was among lawyers who faced detention under the KANU regime over his role in the fight for democracy.
He made history in 1983, after he became the first Kenyan- Somali to be admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
In her condolence message, Chief Justice Martha Koome described Justice Ibrahim as a steady and thoughtful voice in matters of judicial governance, appointments, discipline, and the overall strengthening of the Judiciary.
“His contribution to the work of the Commission helped reinforce public confidence in the Judiciary and safeguard its constitutional mandate during periods of intense public and political scrutiny. A jurist of exceptional humility and integrity, Justice Ibrahim will be remembered as a steadfast guardian of constitutionalism, electoral justice, and human dignity,’ she said.
The Jamia Mosque Committee also paid tribute, noting: “His contribution to Kenya’s jurisprudence and to the strengthening of the Judiciary will be remembered with great respect and gratitude.”
“We pray that the Almighty grants the late Hon. Justice Mohammed Khadhar Ibrahim His infinite mercy, forgives his shortcomings, grants him Jannatul Firdaus, and grants patience, comfort, and strength to all those he has left behind,” the committee added.