On the first day of the Supreme Court hearing of the Presidential petition on Wednesday, August 31, Julie Soweto, an advocate of the High Court, took the stage and gave powerful submissions that forced some veteran lawyers to fact-check their claims.
Soweto's presentation temporarily disrupted the Court's proceedings after she made reference to an affidavit filed by Commissioner Irene Masit - attracting the attention of Senior Counsels Githu Muigai and Paul Muite.
A clash between the two lawyers saw Chief Justice Martha Koome intervene as she directed Soweto, a member of Raila Odinga's legal team, to identify the document she was making reference to in her submissions.
"That issue can be put to rest very simply. The affidavit I refer to by Irene Masit is drawn and filed by MS Ouma J and Associates Advocates. I believe that each of the commissioners had the right to and did appoint their own advocates in response to the petition," Soweto put the matter to rest capturing the attention of the entire nation.
Through her impeccable and concise delivery, it is easier to understand why her career has constantly been on an upward trajectory.
In 2017, she was among a flurry group of female lawyers who left a mark at the Supreme Court during yet another Presidential election petition.
At the time, she worked alongside Lawyer Harun Ndubi representing activists Njonjo Mue and Khelef Khalifa.
In this year's petition, Soweto is working alongside James Orengo whose law firm, JAB Orengo Advocates, helped launch her into the high-octane legal industry in Nairobi.
Since joining the practice in 2003, the lawyer has risen up the ranks and now owns her own firm, Soweto & Company Advocates.
She started out as an intern at the South Africa Human Rights Commission before transitioning to the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria where she served as a researcher and tutor.
In July 2004, Soweto secured a position as a Law Clerk at the Constitutional Court of South Africa before she joined as an associate at JAB Orengo Advocates - a position she held for seven years until 2012 when she founded her own law firm.
Ranked among one of the finest female lawyers in the country, Soweto holds an LLB from the University of Nairobi and a master’s degree in law from the University of Pretoria. She is also an alumni of Kenya High School.
