The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has expressed concern over what it terms a growing wave of abductions and harassment of lawyers across the country.
In a statement on Saturday, LSK President Faith Odhiambo said the trend amounted to persecution and called for urgent investigations. She noted that in the last two years, hundreds of abductions had been reported, with some victims returning home, others found dead, and several still missing.
“The disappearance of advocates, which has historically ended in their being found dead, should be treated as a matter of grave national concern,” the statement read.
The Society warned that the lack of accountability in such cases had left families without answers and emboldened those behind the crimes. It said the incidents were a violation of Article 29 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to security and freedom from arbitrary detention.
Despite the risks, LSK said it had continued to support victims and families by filing petitions for habeas corpus, tracing missing persons, and pursuing reparations. It praised advocates who had volunteered to defend the rule of law but warned that many had faced threats to their lives and freedom.
The statement recalled past cases where lawyers had been abducted and killed, including Oscar Kingara and Willie Kimani, as well as the unresolved case of advocate Njau Kiyai, who went missing in February 2021.
To push for accountability, LSK said it was compiling a database of unresolved cases involving the persecution of advocates, particularly abductions and kidnappings. The records will be submitted to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for further action.
The Society urged authorities to reopen cold cases, fast-track those already in court, and deliver justice to victims’ families. It also appealed to families, colleagues, and clients of targeted lawyers to support its efforts in pursuing accountability.
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