Restore LSK’s lost glory

The ongoing wrangles and supremacy battles in the leadership of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) are soiling the image of a once-highly respected organisation.

The current officials have tended to dwell on ego trips, taking their eyes off the ball that the LSK has been adept at in the past. It has not only articulated national interests but also stridently defended individual rights.

During the clamour for constitutional reform some years ago, the LSK contributed immensely to the realisation of the new supreme law of the land. This was the inauguration of the 2010 Constitution.

With the growing pitch for amendments to this document to ostensibly address shortcomings and seal any loopholes, the LSK should play a major role, considering its array of legal professional expertise.
Instead, the LSK has, rather sadly, become synonymous with chaos.

Heckling match

On Monday, an LSK housekeeping meeting turned into a heckling match and the eventual suspension of 10 council members. The meeting, called to deal with administrative issues, degenerated into a shouting contest. 

Here is an organisation that should help to entrench the administration of justice but is unable to put its own house in order. How does the society expect to be respected and its counsel sought by the authorities and the public when its own integrity is in question?

For several months, the LSK has been split into two factions. One backs its president, Nelson Havi, and the other the CEO, Mercy Wambua, whom he has fallen out with.

The feuds must be resolved to enable this vital organisation of lawyers to fully discharge its professional mandate and contribute cogently to the search for solutions to national problems and challenges.

It is time to restore the LSK’s lost glory to enable it to regain public confidence and help enhance the delivery of justice.