Kenyan lawyers boycott courts over corruption and delays

Kenyan lawyers staged a nationwide boycott of court proceedings on Wednesday to protest judicial corruption and long delays.

Official records say cases in Kenya take an average of two years to conclude. Lawyers blame graft and systemic inefficiencies.

Charles Kanjama, president of the Law Society of Kenya, told reporters that the boycott was taking place in courts across the country and that many lawyers were following the call.

After the nationwide boycott, the Law Society of Kenya is pushing for an ongoing boycott of specific judges and magistrates whom it says have blocked anti-corruption investigations and disciplinary proceedings. The group said the targeted boycott would include Chief Justice Martha Koome and would start from Thursday.

Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi said lawyers were tired of what he called a corrupt judiciary that refuses to reform itself.

Others warned that judicial corruption could become an issue in next year's election if political disputes arise. Former Law Society of Kenya president Eric Theuri said the judiciary was compromised and unable to act as an arbiter.

On Wednesday, Kenya's anti-corruption body said it had arrested a magistrate for allegedly soliciting 170,000 Kenyan shillings, around $1,300, to influence a criminal case.

Data from the State of the Judiciary Report 2023-2024 said there were 1,115 complaints against the judiciary, including 141 petitions against judges. The allegations ranged from ethical violations to judicial misconduct and abuse of court processes.