The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has condemned the continued abduction and victimisation of advocates, terming the worrying situation as ‘persecution’.
According to the Society, lawyers pursuing matters of public interest were the greatest targets in a pattern that reeks of political repression designed to deter them from seeking truth and justice.
“We strongly condemn all acts of reprisal and victimisation against Advocates of the High Court of Kenya for the faithful discharge of their duties. The disappearance of advocates, which has historically ended in their being found dead, should be treated as a matter of grave national concern,” said LSK President Faith Odhiambo in a statement on Saturday, August 30.
Ms. Odhiambo cited the disappearance of Advocate Njau Kiyai four years ago, with no progress made in an attempt to trace him.
The 2016 abduction and killing of human rights lawyer Willy Kimani, his client, and their taxi driver is among the rare cases of successful prosecutions of similar cases.
Police officers were convicted in 2023 for their involvement in the murders.
LSK said it has begun the process of documenting all cases of forced disappearances, abductions, kidnappings and torture of advocates, especially those that have been forgotten despite official reports being made.
The resulting database will be presented to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for a thorough probe.
“The Law Society of Kenya is in the process of collating a database of all unresolved cases of persecution of Advocates, in particular through abductions and kidnappings, to trace the extent of this tragic trend,” said Odhiambo.
Law Society of Kenya condemns abduction of advocates as it pursues justice for victims
