Levi Munyeri, an advocate, has challenged Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo to resign from her role at the LSK after accepting an appointment to a panel of experts by President William Ruto.
In a statement released on Friday, September 5, Munyeri vowed to file a petition seeking her removal if she failed to resign from her position as LSK boss.
“It is a personal decision for Faith Odhiambo to serve Ruto in an unconstitutional Panel of Experts,” he stated.
“However, she must resign as the President of LSK, failure to which we will file an urgent motion to eject her as LSK President,” Munyeri noted.
He argued that Odhiambo had violated the Constitution and the Statutes of the LSK in accepting the co-chair of the special panel of experts to fast-track compensations of victims of protests.
According to Munyeri, the Panel duplicated the functions of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), thus causing the LSK boss to violate the law. He contended that the KNCHR received and investigated complaints about alleged violations of human rights and took steps to secure appropriate redress where human rights had been violated, which was a key mandate of the Panel.
“Patently, the President of LSK has taken an oath to serve in a Panel of Experts that is anchored on unconstitutionality,” he stated.
He cited an instance in July 2024, when Odhiambo declined an appointment by Ruto to serve as a member of an Independent Taskforce that would audit the country's public debt.
At the time, her reason for declining that appointment was that, in her own assessment, it was unconstitutional since the mandate to conduct a public audit rested with the Office of the Auditor General.
“In this case, you should have drawn a similar conclusion that the mandate to compensate victims of state-sponsored conflict rests with the KNCHR,” he argued.
Further, Munyeri posited that there would be a conflict of interest in her service as the LSK President and in Ruto’s panel of experts.
“By purporting to serve as the LSK President and President Ruto's appointee, you have compromised the competencies of the LSK to perform its functions under Section 4 of the LSK Act,” he noted.
The latest comes amidst uproar over Odhiambo’s decision to accept the appointment. On Thursday, the LSK boss defended her appointment, dismissing claims that she had betrayed Kenyans by accepting the role.
She maintained that her decision was informed by a duty to safeguard justice and the rule of law, while ensuring that victims of protests received a fair hearing.
Odhiambo assured Kenyans that she would not let them down, adding that the demises and injuries suffered during the protests must never be in vain. She promised to remain accountable to the people and to consistently update them on the progress of the panel’s work.
“I have today chosen a bold but unpopular step,” she admitted. “Some of my colleagues in the legal profession may not like this move, and thousands of Kenyans have voiced their reservations. However, my focus will remain on the victims.”
