The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has called for an independent investigation into the death of Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Senior Legal Manager Esther Wairimu Keige, issuing three demands to the government and warning that the killings of two advocates within a week have raised serious concerns over the safety of lawyers and the country's justice system.
In a statement released on Wednesday, July 8, LSK President Charles Kanjama said the legal fraternity had received confirmation of Wairimu's death with deep sadness after weeks of searching and hoping she would be found alive.
"The Law Society of Kenya has received confirmation of the death of our colleague, Advocate Esther Wairimu Keige, after weeks of anxious searching and fervent hope that she would be found alive," Kanjama stated.
He conveyed condolences to Wairimu's family, her colleagues at the Kenya Forest Service and members of the legal profession following the tragic news.
Kanjama said the discovery of Wairimu's body came just two days after advocate Edward Muthee Kariuki was shot dead in Athi River, saying the back-to-back deaths had shaken the legal fraternity.
"This unspeakable atrocity comes an agonisingly brief forty-eight hours after the legal fraternity was thrown into deep mourning following the brutal assassination of Advocate Edward Muthee Kariuki in Athi River," Kanjama said.
He added:"The targeted, calculated extermination of two distinguished ministers of justice within a single week is not a statistical coincidence; it is a declaration of war against the rule of law, an explicit attempt to terrorise the Bar and a terrifying indicator that Kenya is rapidly descending into an era of unchecked criminality and institutional collapse."
The lawyers' body said the deaths demanded urgent action and outlined three measures it wants implemented as investigations into Wairimu's death continue.
First, LSK called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the National Police Service Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) to establish an independent multi-agency homicide team to investigate the deaths of both Wairimu and Kariuki.
According to the society, investigators should pursue not only those who carried out the killings but also establish whether there were individuals or organisations that planned, financed or benefited from the crimes.
"We demand that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) immediately establish an independent, multi-agency homicide team to aggressively unmask not just the physical perpetrators of these two murders, but the intellectual authors, financiers and state or corporate beneficiaries behind them," Kanjama wrote on X.
The second demand is a comprehensive forensic audit of land-related legal files handled by the Kenya Forest Service over the past 12 months.
LSK said investigators should examine all active land acquisition, leasing and alienation files handled by the agency's legal department to determine whether any disputed transactions could have been linked to Wairimu's death.
"We demand a comprehensive, transparent forensic audit of all active land acquisition, leasing, and alienation files handled by the Kenya Forest Service legal department over the last twelve months to identify the specific corporate interests that precipitated Advocate Wairimu's death," LSK stated.
The society also urged the government to strengthen security for advocates serving in public institutions, saying lawyers working in regulatory agencies often face threats and pressure while handling matters involving public assets, land disputes and corruption.
"The Executive must immediately provide institutional security and protective coverage for all advocates serving in public regulatory bodies who face illicit pressure and structural threats while defending public assets from corruption."
LSK said it expects swift action from the relevant authorities, maintaining that thorough investigations and stronger protection for lawyers are necessary to safeguard the rule of law and restore confidence in the country's justice system.