Kenyan lawyers boycott court over judiciary corruption claims

What the report says

The Observer reported that lawyers across Kenya stayed away from court proceedings on Wednesday in a nationwide boycott organized by the Law Society of Kenya, escalating demands for action over alleged corruption and weak accountability in the Judiciary. The protest was described as countrywide, with LSK president Charles Kanjama speaking outside the Supreme Court in Nairobi and urging advocates to remain united as the society pushes for reforms.

According to the report, Kanjama said the LSK Council and members of the Senior Counsel Bar are expected to meet the Judicial Service Commission on July 31 to discuss measures aimed at improving judicial accountability. Senior lawyers and former LSK leaders, including Philip Murgor, Faith Odhiambo, Ahmednasir Abdullahi, Nelson Havi and Erick Theuri, backed the boycott and called for stronger oversight of judges and judicial officers. East Africa Law Society president Ramadhan Abubakar also supported scrutiny of the Judiciary and urged Kenya’s anti-corruption agency to investigate claims involving judges and magistrates.

The protest coincided with the arrest by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission of senior principal magistrate Martin Kinyua Mutegi and principal probation officer Julius Irungu Njogu. The Observer reported that they were accused of soliciting a KShs 170,000 bribe from a businessman for a favourable probation report, and investigators said they were arrested after allegedly receiving KShs 150,000 in marked currency. Chief Justice Martha Koome suspended Mutegi from judicial duties and announced disciplinary proceedings.

The Judiciary said courts remained open despite the boycott, though some matters were adjourned when advocates did not attend. The dispute matters beyond Kenya because courts across East Africa have faced public criticism over delays, independence and accountability.