Ms Faith Mony Odhiambo, the newly elected Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President, threw a campaign that hit the right notes where it mattered.
The University of Nairobi law lecturer appealed to the young members of the bar, and concentrated her campaigns in Nairobi, where nearly two-thirds of advocates reside.
Both paid off—and paid off handsomely.
“I understand their plight and relate to their needs,” she said of the young bar, most of whom she taught as a University of Nairobi School of Law.
And on Thursday, she was overwhelmingly endorsed as the LSK 51st president, beating her closest rival by more than 900 votes.
It was a historic win as she is only the second female president of the lawyers’ body, after former Cabinet secretary Raychelle Omamo.
Meanwhile, city lawyer Omwanza Ombati beat the current LSK president Eric Theuri for the male representative of the LSK to the Judiciary service Commission.
Mr Ombati was facing four candidates and won the seat by about 65 votes.
Others who were in the race were Ishmael Nyaribo and Egerton University lecturer Prof Michael Wabwile.
But for Ms Odhiambo, a look at the results showed that the bulk of the lawyers who voted for her are those practicing in Nairobi.
Ms Odhiambo got a total of 2,116 votes in all the 14 polling situated at the Milimani and Supreme Court buildings.
Her closest rival, Mr Peter Wanyama garnered 1,395 votes in Nairobi.
Nairobi has 11,452 lawyers out of the 15,701 in the country and who registered to vote in the elections.
To prove that her support cuts across the country, MS Odhiambo beat Nakuru-based rival Bernhard Kipkoech Ng’etich in both the Nakuru and Naivasha law courts stations. She was also received the highest votes in Kerugoya, Kisii, Kitale and Kisumu law courts.
Ms Odhiambo promised to build on the platform they have created in the past two years when she was Mr Eric Theuri’s vice president.
“We have made a strong case to continue on the path of a stable bar, to make progress in expanding the frontiers of our practice, and to assert the position of our society as the indispensable voice of the rule of law.
Ms Odhiambo campaigned on a platform she termed as PSP Agenda. It includes the protection of the rule of law, the stability and progress of the bar and lastly the practice and welfare of the LSK members.
“We have shown that our society is the gold standard for professionalism and collegiality, ideological differences notwithstanding. We must now make the PSP Agenda a reality, the vote in support of it is an affirmation that it is the right plan of action for our society. Let us build this stable progressive bar together,” she posted on her X handle after she was announced the winner.
She said as advocates, they cannot afford to return the society to the yester years of uncertainty. “Our inspiration must be stability and progress,” she said.
Other than the young bar, Ms Odhiambo also targeted lawyers who have joined the public sector and sold her agenda to them.
She said the public service practitioners will be an active part of the stable progressive bar she was aiming to build in her tenure.
Ms Odhiambo also got a huge boost when Azimio La Umoja leader Raila Odinga publicly endorsed her candidature.
She promised to ‘remodel’ the LSK council and advance the legal profession to claim the opportunities of an expanding bar.
“My agenda is based on three pillars: achieve unified stability; inclusive progress of our practice; and to assert the voice of the LSK as an indispensable voice for the rule of law,” she said, adding that the LSK needed a strong, focused and strategic leader to drive the agenda.
Ms Odhiambo holds an LLB (Hons) from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, a Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law, and an LLM (Hons) in International Commercial Law with European Law from the University of Kent (UK).
She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators-UK (MCIarb) and is currently pursuing a PhD student at the University of Nairobi.
She is an advocate of 13 years and has practised in areas, including Law of Business Associations, Telecommunications Law, Banking Law, and Alternative Dispute Resolution.
She is practising at Ombok & Owuor Advocates LLP.
Leaders including Chief Justice Martha Koome, Council of Governors chair Anne Waiguru, Martha Karua and former vice President Kalonzo Musyoka congratulated her on her election.
“Ms Odhiambo’s election marks a significant milestone as the second woman to hold the esteemed office of the President in the Law Society of Kenya’s history- a remarkable step towards promoting inclusion and diversity in our legal professional organisations,” Justice Koome said in a statement.
Mr Mwaura Kabata was elected the vice president of the LSK while Tom Kopere was elected unopposed at the general member of at least 25 years. The upcountry representatives are Vincent Munyanga Githaiga, Lindah Kiome Gitonga and Roble Zulfa.
