Members of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) on Saturday, June 26, voted on sending the LSK Chief Executive Officer Mercy Wambua on compulsory leave.
118 members voted in favor of the motion while 16 opposed it. They also voted to have the CEO’s position filled within 45 days from Saturday, June 26 after Wambua is given a fair hearing.
Eighty-five of the 118 voted virtually by raising their hands whereas the other 33 voted physically. As for the 16 that opposed the motion, they did so virtually. One hundred and thirty-three of the members voted in favor of filling the position within 45 days, while none of the members opposed the motion.
In a report by The Standard, Wambua stated there were only differences in opinion based on the interpretation of the law.
Wambua was put back in her position in October 2020, after her suspension a month earlier over allegations of gross misconduct and incompetence.
Mercy became the CEO in February 2016 at the age of 36 becoming one of the youngest to get that position in the region.
The CEO's duties include overseeing and coordinating the administrative function of the Secretariat, implementing the organization's strategic plan, conceptualizing and developing program ideas in tandem with the Societies' mandate.
Others include attending meetings on behalf of the Council and the Society, implementing decisions of the Council, overseeing financial affairs of the organization, and handling personnel matters.
Wambua in 2017, co-opted and served as a member of the Legal Sector Reforms Taskforce established by the 6th Attorney General since independence Githu Muigai.
Besides her work in LSK, she was also head of the Eldoret and Mombasa-based Legal Aid Centres with Christian Legal Education Aid and Research (CLEAR). The project was under Kenya Christian Lawyers Fellowship (KCLF).
Mercy Wambua has also received awards and recognitions in her field of work one of them being the Order of Grand Warrior (OGW) awarded to her by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
