- The lawyers will be electing a new president after the two-year term of Eric Theuri and his council elapsed.
- The ‘outsiders versus insiders’ framing has characterised the campaigns.
Image: LEAH MUKANGAI
Lawyers will on Thursday elect new officials of the Law society of Kenya and a representative to the Judicial Service Commission in a dogfight pitting insiders against outsiders.
The lawyers will be electing a new president after the two-year term of Eric Theuri and his council elapsed.
Candidates for president of the society include vice president Faith Odhiambo, former vice president Caroline Kamende, current council member Njoki Mboce, former council member Bernhard Kipng’etich and Peter Wanyama.
The representative to the JSC level has attracted Theuri, Omwanza Ombati and law professor Michael Wabwile.
However, the contest is seen to be between Theuri and Omwanza. Theuri accuses Omwanza of being a pawn for the Kenya Kwanza government while Omwanza says Theuri should exit the stage and focus on private practice.
Key issues in the contest include taming quacks in the legal profession and expanding and guarding areas of practice for advocates.
The ‘outsiders versus insiders’ framing has characterised the campaigns, with Wanyama saying his opponents are perennial council members who have turned the leadership of the society into a career.
“These people went to law school to practice law. They should exit the stage for others to also try it,” he said.
The contest was in full display during the last round of debates convened by the Nairobi branch at Riara University on Tuesday. Wanyama took a swipe at Odhiambo, saying that “however a good dancer you are, you must exit the stage at some point”.
Observers hold that the presidential race is largely between Odhiambo and Wanyama, with the vice president having to carry the baggage of the current council as the popular perception is that she is the incumbent everybody is running against.
She told this paper in a recent interview that although many view her as the incumbent, she is proud of the track record she has “unlike my main opponent who has no track record of serving members at the society.”
On the charge of being a perennial council member, Odhiambo has sought to turn it into an advantage, telling this writer that it was a mark of confidence by lawyers in her leadership every time her track record was put to scrutiny.
“I’m a lawyer and a leader with a track record that advocates have interrogated every time I have offered myself for an elective seat and the verdict has always been a green light. Experience, trust and delivering on commitments must surely count for something when running for an office,” she said.
“You cannot just tell people that you will do this or that, or appear rough and tough on the outside, but there is absolutely nothing you can show that you have done for members. So, yeah, I’m proud that I have won the confidence of lawyers every time I have offered myself for election. I believe that will be the case this time around. I will work hard to win their trust and confidence again on February 29.”
Wanyama is promising reforms and has vowed to fight for more opportunities for lawyers.
He has also undertaken to deliver on all his promises with the mantra of “No excuses.”
There have been claims of national political interest finding its way into the lawyers’ politics.
Odhiambo has been accused of being the Azimio candidate due to the endorsement she received from Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.
Mboce, on her part, told this paper in a past interview that she was her own woman in the race and was standing against any efforts to capture the law society.
“LSK is not up for capture by the state and any other political interest,” she said. But she is open to align herself with political entities that will help her as president of the society to champion the rule of law and get what is in the interest of the society.
This in the backdrop of the claim by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei that the Kenya Kwanza government will ensure the LSK has a leadership friendly to its politics.
Ng’etich is counting on his experience as a chapter leader and later the national treasurer of the LSK without any audit queries, a solid grasp of the issues at play and connection with advocates to win.
“KBN ni TISHO,” he often says, using the abbreviation of his name to form an acronym for his campaign agenda.
“Having been a leader of a chapter for five years and a council member, as well as the national treasurer whose tenure saw no queries raised, I’m the qualified candidate and the man of the season,” he said.