LSK demands probe on death of advocates, announce nationwide protest on Friday

Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Legal Services Manager, Esther Wairimu Keige, was found dead in a coffee plantation in Juja, Kiambu County, after disappearing on June 10, while Edward Kariuki Muthee was found outside a residential area in Athi River, Machakos County.

In a statement on Wednesday, LSK President Charles Kanjama said that the mysterious deaths amount to attacks on the legal profession and threaten the security of all advocates.

He therefore stated that a multi-agency investigative team, comprising the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and other teams, should be established to probe the matter.

Likewise, the Society wants a comprehensive forensic audit of all contested land acquisition and alienation matters handled by the KFS legal department to determine if Keige's death was connected to her official duties and to identify those involved. 

It also wants "Immediate security interventions and institutional protection for Advocates serving in public institutions and regulatory bodies whose work exposes them to threats from criminal syndicates, corrupt networks and other unlawful actors," read the statement in part. 

In the meantime, LSK has announced a Nationwide Advocates' March for Justice set for Friday, July 10, to honour their slain colleagues.

All participants will assemble at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi from 9:00 am and have been requested to be formally dressed and to wear a purple ribbon.

"The Society calls upon every advocate, judicial officer, law student and every person who believes in justice to stand with the Bar on this solemn occasion," the statement added.

Police have confirmed they are currently recording statements from family members of both victims as investigations ensue.