NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 8 – The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has declared Friday, July 10, a national day of solidarity for the legal profession and announced a Nationwide Advocates’ March for Justice following the deaths of advocates Edward Muthee Kariuki and Esther Wairimu Keige.

📻 Breaking It Down

In a statement issued Wednesday, LSK said lawyers across the country will suspend their duties and march peacefully to demand justice, accountability and enhanced protection for advocates.

The declaration follows the killing of Kariuki, whose body was found outside his Athi River residence on July 5, and the death of Keige, the Director of Legal Services at the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), whose body was recovered after she had been missing for weeks.

In Nairobi, participants will assemble at the Milimani Law Courts parking area from 9am, with the procession beginning at 9.30am and proceeding to the National Police Service Headquarters, where the society will present a petition to the Inspector-General of Police.

📌 What You Need to Know

Advocates have been asked to attend in formal attire and wear purple ribbons as a symbol of remembrance and unity, while simultaneous marches will be held across all LSK regional branches.

The society described the deaths as “an attack on the legal profession, the administration of justice and the rule of law.”

“The death of two Advocates within the span of a single week is not an isolated coincidence. These deaths amount to an attack on the legal profession, the administration of justice and the rule of law,” the bar association stated.

“It sends a chilling message to every Advocate who faithfully discharges their professional duties and raises serious concerns about the security of officers of the court and all those entrusted with defending public interest,” it added.

LSK said it had remained engaged with the families of the deceased through its Lawyer-Police Liaison Committee and would continue pursuing all lawful institutional, legal and advocacy avenues until justice is achieved.

The society called for the immediate establishment of a high-level multi-agency investigative team, led by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), to investigate the deaths, identify the perpetrators, collaborators and any individuals who may have orchestrated the crimes.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya