Lawyer Peter Wanyama has promised to revamp the Law Society of Kenya and recapture for advocates markets taken up by brokers if elected the association's next president.
With 16 years of experience in the legal profession, Wanyama feels he is the right person to succeed outgoing LSK president Eric Theuri, and reform Kenya's biggest professional association to benefit both the public and lawyers.
"It is time to bring back the lost glory of the law society. The legal economy is in shambles, and many lawyers do not have work to do because brokers have taken up those jobs," he told the Star during an interview.
According to the lawyer, most conveyancing jobs have been taken up by brokers. At the same time, lawyers have completely been locked out of immigration practice by cartels.
"That is why the LSK president must be a strategic person who can lobby the government to create more jobs for lawyers. I intend to push for policy and legal reforms and also conquer virgin opportunities like the area of climate change which is very lucrative."
Wanyama is running for the LSK presidency against current vice president Faith Odhiambo, former vice president Caroline Kamende, council member Harriet Mboce and Nakuru-based lawyer Bernard Ng'etich.
Theuri, whose two-year term as president is ending, will be battling it out with lawyer Omwanza Ombati for the male representative to the Judicial Service Commission during the February 29, elections.
All the candidates have been cleared to run after they submitted their nomination papers 10 days ago.
Wanyama is asking the over 15,000 advocates expected to cast their ballots to vote for him, promising to empower LSK branches to create more jobs for lawyers in the counties.
"We now have High Court stations in every county and that is why I am keen on empowering the branches, so we can have lawyers in even the remotest areas like Samburu or Mandera. Besides creating jobs for lawyers, it will also take legal services closer to mwananchi," Wanyama said.
According to Wanyama, LSK gets over Sh1 billion from membership fees and grants.
"I intend to put this money to proper use to help lawyers. It is absurd that no LSK branch has even a car. Many other associations like Knut are more organised than LSK yet we brag to be the learned colleagues. The offices at our headquarters are dilapidated. Those are things I intend to change," Wanyama said.
Concerning corruption, Wanyama says graft in the Judiciary is worse than President William Ruto has claimed in recent weeks.
Wanyama says there is deep-rooted graft in the Judiciary and that he intends to take it head on once elected LSK president.
"The rot there (in the Judiciary) is worse than what President Ruto mentioned. It is on another level. It has permeated all levels and I can tell you this because I'm a practitioner. It is worse than during the Moi regime," Wanyama told the Star.
He said some lawyers were colluding with judges and parties in a case to get bribes in return for favourable rulings and judgments.
"There are so many such cases and the truth is that such unethical conduct kills legal practice. It is something the LSK must take head-on and deal with as a matter of urgency," he said.
He said his immediate task if elected LSK president, would be to constitute a taskforce on such issues and in collaboration with the Chief Justice to address the problem.
