Former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Nelson Havi defended himself from claims that he is a big beneficiary of the Kenya Kwanza Government.
The outspoken lawyer took his critics head-on on Sunday with a rejoinder to Lawyer Miguna Miguna and fellow lawyer Akech Migai whom he accused of making the explosive claims.
In an explosive back-and-forth on X, formerly Twitter, Havi addressed the notion that he was heavily benefiting from the government since his appointment as the chairperson of the Retirement Benefits Authority board.
Havi's position, which he has held since 2023, has prompted his critics, including Miguna Miguna and Akech Migai, to accuse him of failing to hold the government accountable despite the lawyer consistently maintaining that he strives to uphold the Kenyan Constitution.
"Havi, you cannot be a beneficiary of a corrupt regime and purport to hold it accountable. To be credible in claiming to hold the regime accountable, you would have to relinquish the position the regime has given to you," Akech dared Havi.
In response, Havi broke down his remuneration to prove that he felt the pinch of taxes like any other Kenyan.
"Let me also school Miguna Miguna and Akech Migai on the nonsense that I am a beneficiary of this Government," he responded.
"I am not. The Government is the beneficiary. As chair, I receive an honorarium of Ksh80,000 which is taxed to Ksh50,000. I serve gratuitously and not beneficially."
Havi's appointment was confirmed in February 2023 through a Gazette notice signed by the then Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning Njuguna Ndung’u.
Despite his position as RBA chairperson, Havi has always been critical of certain arms of government. In one of his recent sentiments, the lawyer called on Kenyans to take action if the issues affecting them directly are not resolved by the Judiciary.
He highlighted some stark failures by the government in addressing key issues brought forth by Kenyans noting that bills presented before the National Assembly only served to hurt the citizens more.
"If you find a failure occasioned by a party do you sanitize the actions of that party? The Supreme Court has impaired irreparably gains hitherto made in ensuring the dictates of the constitution that demand people's participation at every stage of legislation [are met]," he stated.
