Nairobi, July 1 -- Chief Justice Martha Koome has been drawn into a fresh face-off over the growing number of court battles over the planned Sh340 billion sale of British multinational Diageo's entire 65 percent stake in East African Breweries (EABL), as well as its holding in spirits maker UDV Kenya, to Japanese beverage firm Asahi Group Holdings.

Rival litigants have written to the CJ seeking administrative intervention while urging opposite approaches to managing multiple court cases challenging the transaction.

EABL asked for all cases touching on the transaction to be centrally managed by one High Court judge or court station, but JILK Construction and its co-petitioners urge the Chief Justice to reject the request, saying that suc...