Meet Yusuf Abubakar, the 'terrorist' lawyer with no apologies to make

My name is Yusuf Abubakar. Twenty-three years ago, I decided to pursue law as a career.

But what I did not know was that the path would make or destroy me.

This is my story of how my life has been on the line for defending the most wanted terror suspects in Kenya.

My life as a lawyer has been very colourful.

I have received threats several times. This is because of defending the most-wanted terror suspects in court.

From the late Sheikh Aboud Rogo and his family to Salim Mohammed (now being sought by security agents).

My pride is that of all those I defended, none has ever been convicted.

Until found guilty, you are only a suspect. That is the law.

However, police officers have accused me of meddling in their work. The community has perceived me as an enemy.

But I will never regret the path I chose, because not only has it given me experience but it has also taught me lessons.

My biggest challenge is when I am defending a murder or terror suspect, because I am going against the State to prove their innocence.

Yes, it is true, I defended the late Sheikh Aboud Rogo and his wife. It has not been an easy journey for me.

People lashed out at me, saying I am defending terrorists and criminals but part of my pride is that all those that I represented were never convicted.

I do not have any security with me, even when my life is in danger.

My security is God only.

The families of those affected blamed me for defending the suspects.

But terror cases are not the only field I specialised in.

Murder is the other.

Omar Lali’s murder case [in which he was accused of killing Keroche heiress Tecra Muigai] was a unique one.

He is a poor man fighting against a wealthy family.

But I am proud that at the Lamu court we succeeded in proving his innocence before the case was taken to a court in Garsen, Tana River County.

There, we also managed to prove his innocence.

Toughest cases

When defending against murder and terror you have to be keen, careful and gather enough evidence.

A case that remains fresh in my mind is that of Hemed Salim.

Mr Salim was abducted in 2014 outside Masjid Musa in Mombasa.

Seven years later, we are still following up on his whereabouts.

Some of my toughest cases were the by-election petitions in Shela and Ganda wards.

It is difficult for a petitioner to succeed in such cases, but we won the Shela one in 2013 and Ganda in 2017.

I remember back then when we lived as squatters in our land.

Receiving threats

My father did not own a title deed, a circumstance that made us and our neighbours lack a place to call home.

Lack of a title deed limited my father’s chances of getting a loan to send me to a good school.

Waking up every day and seeing my father receiving threats in his land rekindled my passion to go for law as a career.

I was born and raised in Gazi, Kwale County, went to Makongeni Primary School before proceeding to Barani School in Kanamai, Kilifi County.

Later, I transferred to Serani Primary School in Mombasa County where I completed Standard Eight in 1986.

I was a class monitor from Standard Three to Eight.

Political ambitions

Later, I joined Shimo La Tewa High School and sat for my Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams in 1990.

My law career started taking shape at the University of Nairobi between 1992 and 1996.

I obtained my bachelor’s degree in law in 1998.

From 1998 to date I have been practising law.

At 52 years old, I can proudly say I have tackled all the fields of law.

That is criminal, constitutional, land, family, Kadhi, terror and murder cases.

My interests are in politics at the moment.

In 2004, I contested the Kisauni MP’s seat under the Shirikisho Party, where I was secretary-general, but I lost and emerged number three.

I believe I can balance law and politics. That is why I am going back to give it a try in 2022.

I will be contesting a seat in Lamu County.