Nairobi — Chief Justice Martha Koome on Tuesday convened a high-level consultative meeting with senior members of the legal fraternity to address concerns around access to justice, integrity, and alleged corruption within the Judiciary.
The meeting, held at the Judiciary headquarters, brought together Senior Counsel Philip Murgor, Senior Counsel Ahmednassir Abdullahi, Senior Counsel Nelson Havi, and Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo.
Discussions focused on strengthening collaboration between the Judiciary, the LSK, and other justice sector actors, while confronting systemic challenges affecting the administration of justice.
Chief Justice Koome said the engagement was aimed at building consensus on reforms to enhance efficiency, integrity, and public confidence in the courts.
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"The engagement focused on strengthening collaboration between the LSK, justice sector actors, and the Judiciary, addressing concerns about corruption in the administration of justice, systemic and practical barriers to justice delivery, and exploring shared solutions to enhance efficiency, integrity, public confidence, and the rule of law," Koome said.
Speaking after the meeting, Senior Counsel Nelson Havi underscored the need for collective responsibility in confronting corruption within the justice system.
"We will work together to fight corruption in the Judiciary," Havi said.
The consultative forum comes amid sustained scrutiny of the Judiciary by members of the bar, with renewed debate around accountability and ethical conduct in judicial processes.
Senior Counsel Ahmednassir Abdullahi, a vocal critic of judicial corruption, attended the meeting following a recent Supreme Court ruling that lifted restrictions previously imposed on him.
On January 23, the Supreme Court lifted a two-year ban that had barred Ahmednassir and his law firm from appearing before the country's highest court.
The restriction had been imposed in 2024 following remarks deemed offensive to the integrity of the Court.
In a judgment delivered by Chief Justice Koome, the Supreme Court allowed Ahmednassir, his partners, and associates to appear before the Court in ongoing and future matters, while clarifying that the earlier orders remained applicable to concluded cases.
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Despite the lifting of the ban, Ahmednassir has maintained a personal boycott of the Supreme Court, citing unresolved integrity concerns and what he describes as the "monetization and corruption of justice" within the courts, a phenomenon he refers to as JurisPESA.
He has challenged the Court to acknowledge that the original ban was unjust and has publicly offered to support judicial reform efforts.
"I am ready to help reform the courts and fight JurisPESA judges," Ahmednassir said in a direct message addressed to the Chief Justice.
The consultative meeting signals a renewed effort by the Judiciary to engage senior legal practitioners and institutional stakeholders in addressing corruption, reinforcing transparency, accountability, and collaboration between the bench and the bar.
