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Lawyers across Kenya on Wednesday boycotted court proceedings in protest against alleged judicial corruption and persistent delays in the country’s justice system.
The nationwide action was organised by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), which said many legal practitioners stayed away from courts in response to the call.
LSK President Charles Kanjama said the boycott was widely observed across the country.
“The court boycott is going on in courts across the country, with many lawyers heeding the call,” Kanjama said.
Following the one-day protest, the lawyers’ body plans to begin an indefinite boycott from Thursday targeting specific judges and magistrates, including Chief Justice Martha Koome, whom it accuses of obstructing anti-corruption investigations and disciplinary processes.
Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi said members of the legal profession had grown frustrated with what he described as a judiciary unwilling to reform itself.
“As lawyers we are tired of a corrupt judiciary that refuses to reform itself,” Abdullahi said.
Former LSK President Eric Theuri warned that the integrity of the judiciary could become a major concern ahead of next year’s elections if political disputes arise, arguing that public confidence in the courts had been eroded.
“The judiciary is irredeemably compromised and is unable to act as an arbiter,” Theuri said.
According to official records, court cases in Kenya take an average of two years to conclude, with lawyers attributing the delays to corruption and systemic inefficiencies.
On Wednesday, the country’s anti-corruption body said it had arrested a magistrate for allegedly soliciting 170,000 Kenyan shillings (around $1,300) to influence a criminal case.
The State of the Judiciary Report 2023-2024 recorded 1,115 complaints against the judiciary, including 141 petitions involving judges over allegations ranging from ethical breaches and judicial misconduct to abuse of court processes.
