Kenya, April 16 -- The 51st President of the Kenya Law Society, lawyer Faith Odhiambo, who is also a partner at Ombok & Owuor Advocates LLP, recognised her for her contributions to the freedom of protesters during the country's demonstrations against the Finance Bill 2024 by Kenyans.
Faith Odhiambo, the president of LSK, expressed disapproval of the state after numerous kidnappings by Kenya Police personnel around the country.
"Extrajudicial killings, incidents of police abductions, torture, and being kept incommunicado for several days are back like never before," the president said in her remarks.
"Our reports indicate that kidnappings of around fifty young Kenyans have occurred thus far. They kidnapped Ernest Nyerere, my personal assistant, from his apartment this morning at five.
"We continue to search for Shadrack Kiprono, also known as Shad Khalif, Osama Otero, Gabriel Oguda, John Frank Githiaka-Franje, Drey Mwangi, Worldsmith, Hilla254, and numerous others whom we have not yet identified."
"In pre-independence Kenya, our ancestors endured the same mistreatment at the hands of white people, but they persisted.
"Argwings K'Odhek alone faced the difficult task of defending their Mau Mau rights when the colonial courts imprisoned over 500 Mau Mau supporters in September 1952 without providing them with legal counsel."
He claimed in court that "human rights are indivisible and universal; thus, freedom cannot be appropriate in the West but inapplicable in Africa."
"Fellow advocates and people of good will, Argwings K'Odhek has set the bar for us, and we must live up to his dream of a free and united Kenya."
"But first, I have a message for the world community, which has been silent and reticent for the last two weeks. Do you find Kenya's current events to be admirable? Is this your strategy for your non-NATO partner, Kenya? Last Thursday, June 20, Rex Kanyike Masai was peacefully protesting when a trigger-happy person shot him dead within the CBD. The same day, a tear gas canister reportedly struck Evans Kiratu in his groin. Kiratu would die the next day from his wounds at Kenyatta National Hospital.
"The deaths of Rex Kanyike and Evans Kiratu occurred just days after a police chief inspector killed a magistrate during active court proceedings at Makadara Law Courts in Nairobi."
"Like Willie Kimani, we cannot remain quiet while the number of Kenyans slain by law enforcement officials rises. Indeed, this is not an isolated incident. As long as you're watching or listening, they could come for me tomorrow and Rex the day after.
"Pio Gama Pinto was assassinated on February 24, 1965, reportedly for yelling at then-president Mzee Jomo Kenyatta over Sessional Paper No. 10, which effectively legalised capitalism in Kenya. The fight has not ended with Pinto's passing; it is still ongoing. The fruits of the struggle that our nation's freedom fighters sowed are already visible.
"Dear Mr President, if the spirit of struggle did not die with our forefathers, who were enslaved, tortured, maimed, and eventually killed, what makes you think that it can end today?" On social media, the president posted.
Faith Odhiambo became the next president of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) after Eric Theuri lost his bid to serve as the male representative on the Judicial Service Commission.
Faith Odhiambo served as vice president of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) prior to her election as president.
Kenyans praised the mother of two (a boy and a daughter) for her tireless efforts to secure the release of detained and kidnapped influencers with the help of kind-hearted Kenyans and advocates.
Her father is a lecturer at Maseno University. Faith Odhiambo was the Federation of Women Lawyers-Kenya's (FIDA-Kenya) previous board secretary. She teaches at the University of Nairobi's School of Law.
Her husband, Caleb, was shocked to learn that she had transformed the Kenyan legal profession in such a short time. He commends her for transforming the nation's legal perceptions, particularly during the turmoil over the Finance Bill 2024.
Faith Odhiambo, after receiving an LLB (hons) from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, went on to earn a diploma in law from the Kenya School of Law. She then continued her legal education and graduated with an LLM (Hons) in International Commercial Law with European Law from the University of Kent, UK.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.