The 2026 leadership will be tasked with fully migrating the society into ‘Future Law,’ involving AI integration and automated member services, in line with its strategic plan.
The contest to determine the next leader of the Law Society of Kenya, as Faith Odhiambo’s tenure comes to an end this March, has simmered down to three candidates: Peter Wanyama, Charles Kanjama and Mwaura Kabata.
Following the close of candidate nominations in early January, the ensuing campaign is shaping up as pitting established convention against modern, platform-driven change.
Unlike previous years that were often dominated by national political posturing, the 2026 race is heavily centered on advocate welfare.
The 2026 leadership will be tasked with fully migrating the society into ‘Future Law,’ involving AI integration and automated member services, in line with its strategic plan.
Additionally, with membership exceeding 24,000, the scale of the campaign has shifted. This year’s candidates are utilising more sophisticated, decentralised digital campaigns to reach a younger, more diverse voter base that demands transparency over traditional endorsements.
Further, the society’s relationship with government has also come into play. Members are particularly sensitive to any perception of co-option, making independence the most potent buzzword on the trail.
Wanyama, a managing partner at Manyonge Wanyama Associates and Advocates, is the runner-up from the 2024 election. He has built a reputation as a specialist in devolution litigation, policy review and legislative drafting. Born in Bungoma, Wanyama has been open about his rags-to-riches journey, often citing his background to inspire young lawyers.
In a notable feat, he completed high school in three years instead of four. After being out of school for a year due to financial hardship, he skipped Form 2, self-studied the curriculum and eventually scored an A- (minus)
Wanyama is married, having held a high-profile wedding in Karen, which was aired on national television.
He has anchored his bid on core practice issues, aiming to address the practical, day-to-day challenges of young lawyers and the protection of the Bar’s independence.
After losing to Odhiambo, Wanyama has spent the last year conducting an exhaustive national tour, focused on the economic welfare of advocates.
Wanyama’s manifesto is built on the premise that the legal profession in Kenya is overcrowded and under-resourced.
His strategy directly targets the young bar, addressing the lived realities of junior lawyers through advice on professional branding and fee management.
He proposes a ‘mastery’ programme to help young lawyers move away from general practice and into niche, high-value fields like International Arbitration, AI Law and Energy Law.
Wanyama has pledged to aggressively lobby for the return of legal tasks that have been “ceded” to other professions or automation, such as land transactions and corporate secretarial work.
A vocal critic of administrative hurdles within the society, the candidate has promised to reform a secretariat he describes as dysfunctional, ensuring that Practice Certificates (PCs) and other regulatory documents are issued within 48 hours of application.
On financial dignity of lawyers, Wanyama has proposed to review minimum fee scales and provide better support for advocates struggling with the high cost of practice.
“The bar needs a president who will prioritise core practice issues, strengthen the bar and uphold the rule of law,” he said in a recent address to young practitioners.
Senior counsel Kanjama has been a practicing advocate of the High Court of Kenya since June 2003. At the time of his conferment in 2022, he was described as the youngest Senior Counsel in Kenya.
An active leader in faith-based professional circles (he serves as the chairman of the Kenya Christian Professionals Forum and is a member of the Catholic Lawyers Society International) and a family man, Kanjama has been known to keep details regarding his wife or children largely private.
He represents the institutionalist wing of the society, appealing to the senior bar and those who favour a more measured, diplomatic approach to state relations.
A former LSK treasurer, Kanjama brings more than two decades of experience and a reputation for intellectual depth.
He has a history of “firsts” within the society, including serving as the inaugural chairman of the LSK Nairobi branch (2016-2020) and of the LSK Caucus of branch chairs.
His candidacy is built on a foundation of principled leadership and the restoration of professional dignity within the country and the wider East African region.
Kanjama plans to reinvigorate the LSK’s disciplinary and ethics committees to restore public confidence in the Bar, which he argues has been eroded by “unprofessional conduct and ambulance-chasing”.
He has consistently championed judicial independence as a non-negotiable pillar of democracy. It comes as little surprise that his top priority is the protection of the judiciary. He proposes a structured, non-combative yet firm engagement with the Executive to ensure judicial appointments and budgets are not used as political tools.
Leveraging his background as a CPA, his manifesto promises a clean-up of the LSK’s finances, ensuring that member subscriptions are used more efficiently and that branch offices receive more equitable funding.
He aims to elevate the quality of legal education and continuous professional development, moving it from a “point-gathering exercise” to a genuine tool for legal excellence.
Kabata, the outgoing vice president, stands as the continuity candidate. His ‘brave, bold and boundless’ agenda promises to build upon the activist legacy of Odhiambo’s and Eric Theuri eras.
In his early career, he gained diverse experience defending murder cases in Nakuru and handling robbery with violence and petty offense matters in Nairobi.
Kabata’s record in public interest litigation has made him a favourite among socially conscious lawyers who want the Society to remain a fierce watchdog.
He promises to keep the LSK at the forefront of challenging unconstitutional government policies in court.
At a recent branch meeting, he remarked, “Our goal is a digital, responsive Society that doesn’t just react to the government, but proactively sets the agenda for justice.”
His campaign is heavily focused on technological modernisation, specifically the implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning system to create a paperless LSK.
