Wetang’ula, Ongoya, Havi lead list of 54 lawyers for Senior Counsel rank

Kenya’s legal fraternity is set for a major shake-up after a record 54 distinguished lawyers and public-service legal minds were recommended for conferment of the prestigious Senior Counsel title.

On the list, are prominent sons of Mulembe nation including National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, firebrand lawyers Neslon Havi and Elisha Zebedee Ongoya.

Other notable lawyers from Mulembe nation on the list include Richard Omwela, Lumatete Walubengo Muchai and Patrick Lutta Odongo.

The Committee on Senior Counsel Conferment and Privileges, which vets and recommends candidates for the elite rank, unveiled its selections after evaluating 105 applicants in what it described as one of the most competitive cycles in recent years.

A Historic Nomination for Wetang’ula

Moses Wetang’ula’s inclusion has drawn significant interest, not only because of his high-profile role as the Speaker of the National Assembly, but also due to his long career in law.

His decades in private practice, diplomacy, public service and legislative leadership form the backbone of his nomination.

As a former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator of Bungoma County, and now Speaker, Wetang’ula has been at the centre of some of Kenya’s most consequential legal and policy debates.

His elevation to Senior Counsel status — once confirmed — would mark yet another milestone in a career deeply interwoven with Kenya’s legal evolution.

Elisha Ongoya

Another standout nominee is Elisha Zebedee Ongoya, a respected constitutional and administrative law figure whose academic and courtroom influence has made him a household name in Kenya’s legal circles.

Ongoya has over the years trained hundreds of lawyers, shaped jurisprudence through strategic litigation and contributed to national discourse on electoral law, constitutional interpretation and governance reforms.

Ongoya stood out as the lead counsel of impeached former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua with his knife-sharp questions, fine grasp of the law when represented the former Mathira MP in Senate during his impeachment trial.

His nomination is seen as overdue recognition of a lawyer whose impact extends well beyond the courtroom and into the intellectual foundations of the modern Kenyan legal system.

Nelson Havi: The Firebrand Former LSK President

Former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president Nelson Havi is also among the newly recommended Senior Counsel cohort.

His tenure at the helm of the society which was marked by activism, high-profile litigation and legal reforms firmly places him at the centre of public legal advocacy.

Havi’s presence on the list shows the committee’s appreciation of lawyers who have shaped public policy and championed justice sector reforms.

Over the years, he has argued some of the country’s most consequential constitutional cases while maintaining a bold, outspoken style that has earned him both admirers and critics.

Havi has been a strong crusader of Judicial reforms with his firm stand in calling out what he terms ‘jurispesa’ in the corridors of justice.

He is vocal on social media and wastes no time to put critics in their place as he advances his crusade to reform the judiciary.

The list cuts across the entire spectrum of the legal profession, from public sector leaders such as National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director-General Noordin Haji, to seasoned practitioners, academics, former judges, and public-interest litigators such as former Governor Prof Kivutha Kibwana.

If all 54 nominees are approved by the Chief Justice, the number of Senior Counsel in Kenya will nearly double rising from the current 66 to about 120, the largest expansion of the title since its inception.

What’s Senior Counsel?

The Senior Counsel rank is Kenya’s highest professional honour for advocates, comparable to the United Kingdom’s King’s (formerly Queens) Counsel designation.

It is reserved for lawyers who have demonstrated outstanding merit, integrity, leadership, and contribution to the development of law.

Those conferred enjoy ceremonial privileges, precedence in court, and recognition as members of the bar’s most respected circle.

For Wetang’ula, Ongoya, Havi and their peers, the nomination represents both recognition of their past service and a heightened expectation of continued legal stewardship.

Below is the full list:

• Rapinder Singh Sehmi
• Paul Ndiritu Ndungu
• Clement Muturi Kigano
• Eliud Ng’ang’a Njoroge
• Evans Thiga Gaturu
• Ambrose Rachier Otieno
• Richard Omwela
• Moses Masika Wetang’ula
• Alexandra Kontos
• Nancy Wakarima Karigithu
• Moses Kipng’etich Kurgat
• Rubeena Dar
• Dr. Kivutha Kibwana
• Lumatete Walubengo Muchai
• Njoroge Regeru
• Prof. Patrick Otieno Lumumba
• Anastacia Kioko Mululu
• James Ochieng’ Oduol
• Jane Njeri Onyango Njoki
• Christine Agimba Anyango
• Hillary Chacha Odera
• Njeri Caroline Ndegwa Kariuki
• Mercy Wangari Buku
• Isaac Edwin Okero
• Prof. Kariuki Muigua
• Dr. Hosea Kimutai Kili
• Kennedy Ogeto
• Praxedes Chepkoech Tororey
• James Mburu Kamau
• William Ikutha Maema
• Patrick Lutta Odongo
• Ruth Anyango Aura
• Dr. Mercy Mwarah Deche
• Hassan Nunow Lakicha
• Koki Muli Grignon
• James Aggrey Mwamu
• Adil Khawaja
• Ahmed Issack Hassan
• Paul Lilan
• Henry Ongicho Asugah
• Joseph Kipchumba Kigen Katwa
• Jedidah Wakonyo Waruhiu
• Mohammed Salim Balala
• Rose Waithera Njoroge
• Nazima Malik
• Michi Kirimi Kanyiri
• Noordin Mohamed Haji
• Richard Harney
• Ahmed Sheikh Adan
• Nelson Andayi Havi
• Eric Theuri Njeru
• Elisha Zebedee Ongoya
• Dr. Muthomi Thiankolu
• Immaculate Muringo Kassait