• Those calling for cancellation had applied to be members of the advocates disciplinary tribunal to the Law Society of Kenya elections but were disqualified.
• In letters seen by the Star, they complained that the board findings had indicated they were not validly nominated to contest.
Image: handout
A section of LSK members have called for the cancellation of the society's elections set for February 29, saying they were locked out of the polls unfairly.
Those calling for cancellation had applied to be members of the advocates disciplinary tribunal to the Law Society of Kenya elections but were disqualified.
In letters seen by the Star, they complained that the board findings had indicated they were not validly nominated to contest.
The letters were written by advocates Gathii Irungu, Nyaribo Ishmael Nyangara, Wambui Shadrack Kinyanjui and Byron Menezes to the secretary LSK elections board 2024-26.
Gathii said the decision to invalidate his nomination without according him a fair hearing not only locked him out of contesting in the elections, but also imposed new members of the advocates disciplinary tribunal without elections.
He said he had met the criteria quoted, but he received a mail informing him that he was not validly nominated to run for the position.
Gathii said the reason given was that his nominators, Kinyua Benson Nyaga and Marai Daniel Mwaura, each has less than 10 years post admission experience.
Advocate Benjamin Njeru has written to the ad hoc elections board in his capacity as a member of society and eligible voter to the LSK elections, requesting for information of validly nominated candidates.
He argued that he found it grossly unfair to lock out candidates like Wambui Shadrack Kinyanjui and Byron Menezes without according them a fair hearing.
Kinyanjui has since complained to the LSK board over the decision to disqualify him from disciplinary tribunal candidature.
Menezes has also written to the LSK election board, saying he does not agree with the decision.
He argued that no evidence has been presented to support the findings that his two nominators do not engage in practice upcountry.
Nyangara said he received a regret letter from the secretary of the elections board indicating he had not met the requirements of Rule 29 of the LSK Regulations, 2020.
On January 14, LSK chief executive officer Florence Muturi sent out an email with the list of candidates who submitted nomination papers for LSK Council Elections 2024-26.
The list had nine candidates for upcountry representative and 10 for Nairobi representative.
On January 18, an email containing the list of validly nominated candidates was sent out. The number had reduced to six upcountry representative candidates and seven for Nairobi representative.