Behind the polished mahogany desks and leather-bound law books, Kenya’s legal profession hides a dirty secret: your daughter’s mentor might be her predator.

They call it “mentorship.” Buy her coffee. Discuss her career prospects over dinner. Offer to introduce her to the right people.

Then comes the hand on the thigh. The late-night texts. The quid pro quo whispered behind closed office doors.

Welcome to Kenya’s legal profession, where justice is blind, but allegedly, so are those who should be watching the watchdogs.

On Friday February 13,2026, law students, pupil advocates, and young lawyers stormed the Law Society of Kenya headquarters along Gitanga Road, armed with vuvuzelas, placards, and years of suppressed rage.

Their message? The same men who prosecute rapists in court are allegedly running their own harassment rings in the office.

She’s 24, fresh from law school, drowning in student loans, desperate for pupillage.

He’s 55, senior partner, connections at State House,  decides who gets articles and who gets shown the door.

Do the math.

Sexual harassment has been normalized within the profession, buried under fear, power, and intimidation, and disguised as mentorship, the protesters declared.

“The senior advocate offering to ‘personally oversee your training’? Run,” said one participant, summarizing the sentiment of many young lawyers.

The numbers are chilling. In one case involving allegations against a senior lawyer, twenty-two colleagues were reportedly harassed, but only one complainant formally joined the complaint.

Twenty-one women chose their careers over justice, calculating that speaking up would cost more than staying silent.

That’s not a legal profession. That’s a protection racket.

Here’s the kicker: The Law Society of Kenya says it cannot directly intervene in sexual harassment complaints, citing the independence of the Advocates Disciplinary Tribunal.

And the Tribunal? In a November 2025 ruling, it determined it lacked jurisdiction over sexual harassment cases, declaring that police and courts should prosecute such matters as criminal offenses.

“The Tribunal says go to the police. The police say bring evidence,” one protester said.

“The evidence is often our word against a senior counsel with connections. Checkmate.”

The young lawyers vowed to take the fight to court to seek justice for victims  because apparently, irony isn’t dead.

They’ll have to use the same legal system that failed to protect them to prosecute the same men who trained them.

LSK President Faith Odhiambo acknowledged a worrying trend of abuse of power by senior colleagues against junior members, noting that most complaints come from those attached to law firms and non-governmental organizations.

“People hiring you might also be harassing you,” said one advocate.

“Good luck reporting your abuser when he signs your paycheck.”

Sexual harassment allegations have even surfaced in the upcoming LSK presidential race, highlighting the irony that the body meant to clean house struggles to police its own leadership.

At the march, Esther Karanja shared her own painful experience.

“The manner in which my complaint was handled was irregular. This is not a small issue. This is not something to be neglected,” she said.

Lawyer Wycliffe Oyoo stressed the need for an enforceable sexual harassment policy.

“It’s the right time for us to ensure that we have a sexual harassment policy that binds. There is no reason why we have a Sexual Harassment Policy of 2019 that has proven to be toothless.”

Several protestors said they know of colleagues who were too afraid to speak out because they thought saying something would mean professional ruin.

What They’re Demanding

The protesters’ demands were clear:

• A safe, independent reporting mechanism that protects complainants from retaliation.
• A system that does not demand impossible standards of proof.
• Meaningful enforcement of the 2019 Sexual Harassment Policy.

“We march so that future advocates will not have to trade their bodies or dignity for opportunities,” read one rallying statement.

“We march so that reporting harassment will not feel like professional suicide.”

LSK Vice President Mwaura Kabata said complaints have been received and addressed through the Advocates Disciplinary Tribunal, though the tribunal sometimes declines jurisdiction because sexual harassment is a criminal offense.

“Cooperation is vital in protecting the profession from behavior that is not only embarrassing but shameful,” Kabata said.

LSK President Odhiambo reiterated the society’s commitment to justice for victims, but protesters stressed they want to see immediate action.

The Society promises collaboration with FIDA-Kenya and the Witness Protection Agency.

But Friday’s protesters aren’t holding their breath. They’ve seen too many complaints buried, too many perpetrators promoted, too many victims forced out while their abusers made senior partner.

So they took to the streets. Vuvuzelas blaring. Placards raised. Official advocate attire worn like armor.

Because if the profession won’t protect them, they’ll protect themselves.

And if the Law Society won’t deliver justice?

Well, they’re lawyers. They know where the courts are.

The profession that prosecutes predators is protecting its own. Now its future is fighting back.

The post Why Young Lawyers in Nairobi Protested Sexual Harassment appeared first on Insider Bits News.

In a statement issued on February 9, LSK President Faith Odhiambo said the society had observed complaints involving members of the legal profession, with a significant number of those affected appearing to be associates, interns, and pupils in law firms and organizations.

“From the outset, we voice our unequivocal condemnation of such conduct and assert that the same offends the ethical standards of the legal profession, and amounts to both professional misconduct and criminal conduct on the part of proven perpetrators,” Odhiambo stated.

The statement comes as advocate Felix Keaton filed a formal complaint with the Advocates Disciplinary Tribunal against fellow lawyer Faith Ong’ayo Wandera, alleging professional misconduct over an Instagram post he claims falsely accused him of sexual harassment.

According to filed documents, the complaint relates to a February 7 post on an Instagram account with approximately 20,600 followers

“Wueeh na mnasemanga kuna LSK sexual harassment policy. What was your worst law-firm experience? Kuna huyu wakili anaitwa Keaton ule wa maandamano. He will sexually harass any young lady in his vicinity (happened to two ladies I know). And he only employs freshly admitted women…,” the post stated

In his sworn affidavit, Keaton alleges the post made false accusations and used social media in a manner incompatible with the Constitution of Kenya, the Advocates Act, and LSK’s Code of Standards of Professional Practice and Ethical Conduct.

“The allegations made by Ong’ayo Wandera Faith Advocate against are false and the attack on my reputation and dignity is unjustified. The truth of the matter is that I am an ethical Lawyer and I have never engaged in the conduct insinuated,” the affidavit states.

The LSK statement revealed that the Disciplinary Tribunal recently ruled in a November 2025 case involving allegations against one lawyer by 22 colleagues that it did not have jurisdiction as sexual harassment is a criminal offense that should be prosecuted through criminal channels.

LSK described this decision as “regrettable” and said it “exposes a gap in the legal framework for handling of sexual harassment cases.”

The society emphasized that allegations of sexual harassment within the profession must be pursued through its established internal disciplinary processes, including the Advocates Complaints Commission and the Advocates Disciplinary Tribunal, while also being reported to police.

“The Law Society of Kenya, through the Gender Committee, remains fully committed to supporting victims who pursue either or both avenues and will render all necessary assistance in facilitating accountability,” the statement said.

LSK acknowledged that implementation of its Sexual Harassment and Anti-Bullying Policy, adopted in 2019, had been staggered for years before being revived under current leadership.

The society announced it will collaborate with the Advocates Benevolent Association to provide free counseling sessions, engage FIDA-Kenya to handle investigations, and seek support from the Witness Protection Agency for vulnerable victims.

The complaint against Ong’ayo will be heard by the Disciplinary Tribunal, chaired by Taib Ali Taib, SC. No hearing date has been set.

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In a press statement dated January 13, 2026, LSK President Faith Odhiambo warned that the legal profession would not tolerate the abuse of judicial powers.

The controversy stems from Nakuru Petition E001 of 2026, where the High Court granted ex-parte conservatory orders that could effectively cut off private practitioners from public sector work.

LSK views this as the culmination of years of attempts to restrict lawyers’ access to government contracts.

The battle began in July 2020 when the Attorney General issued a directive requiring written approval before state departments could hire external legal counsel.

LSK challenged this through judicial review, and in July 2023, Justice Jairus Ngaah ruled in their favor.

The judge emphasized that procurement must be fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost effective, noting these values would be undermined if such a task was left to the whim of an individual.”

Despite this victory, a fresh challenge emerged in 2024 when petitioners sought to restrain county governments from hiring private law firms.

A Senate committee’s March 2025 report acknowledged that completely prohibiting outsourcing would violate constitutional provisions and procurement laws.

Both the Office of the Attorney General Act and Office of the County Attorney Act explicitly allow retention of external counsel when necessary.

Now, several petitioners led Busia Senator okiya Omtatah have returned to court in Nakuru, citing concerns about high legal fees and fiscal responsibility.

LSK dismissed these arguments as lacking novelty, calling them symbolic of a tired rhetoric against a profession that unreservedly dedicates itself to upholding constitutional values.

The Society emphasized that private lawyers fill critical gaps in the public sector by handling conflicts of interest cases, providing independent expertise, and managing workload excesses.

Legal fees, they noted, are strictly regulated and subject to court taxation when disputes arise.

LSK argued the ex-parte orders violate Article 50 of the Constitution, which protects the right to representation of choice.

The orders also contradict the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, which bars courts from refusing to recognize lawyers’ rights to appear for clients.

Most troublingly, the retroactive nature of the orders threatens to suspend payment of lawful dues already assessed by courts.

The Odhiambo cited other recent examples of concerning judicial conduct, including Justice Bahati Mwamuye’s reversal of orders halting police recruitment and a three-judge bench suspending the Judicial Service Commission’s constitutional functions.

“We are apprehensive that the current pattern of abuse of Judicial powers threatens to spark outrage among both the public and our members,” Odhiambo stated.

She warned that unless the trend is stopped, LSK is “prepared to agitate for a radical surgery as a means to uphold our Constitution.”

LSK announced it is documenting instances of judicial misconduct and has filed an application to review and set aside the Nakuru orders.

While committed to serving the public, the Society pledged equal commitment to protecting its members’ livelihoods and the legal practice environment.

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