Chief Justice Martha Koome on Wednesday (July 22, 2026) allegedly took off from her Supreme Court Building office to avoid meeting the current and former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) leadership who called advocates to boycott courts due to corruption in administration of justice.
LSKs president Charles Kanjama and his predecessors Eric Theuri and Nelson Havi and the Nairobi Chapter chairperson of the LSK Wilberforce Akello had gone to meet the CJ over some 12 judges and a magistrate alleged to be corrupt.
Upon missing the CJ the lawyers went to all courts in Nairobi asking magistrates to adjourn cases to enable lawyers participate in the one day court boycott by all advocates to press for proper administration of justice.
At the Milimani law courts Havi asked magistrates to adjourn cases before they flashed out litigants.
"We are giving all magistrates and judges a one day holiday," Havi told magistrates at the milimani law courts.
Mr Kanjama told magistrate they had notified the CJ that no advocates would attent courts to defend persons due to the one day court boycott.
They therefore forced magistrates at the Milimani Law Courts to adjourn proceedings in their bid to implement a lawyers’ one-days boycott to judicial cases countrywide.
The lawyers claimed that the Chief Justice Martha Koome took off and did not meet them.
Kanjama plus his two former predecessors Nelson Havi and Eric Theuri asked magistrate’s at the Milimani law courts to adjourn cases in solidarity with the lawyers' call to judicial boycott over alleged corruption.
On Monday the LSK President had sent out a memo notifying the Judiciary about the intended July 22,2026 judicial boycott by lawyers.
LSK has named 12 judges and one magistrate whom advocates will boycott from Thursday (July 23 2026) over court orders that have halted disciplinary proceedings by the Judicial Service Commission.
Mr Kanja , Mr Theuri and Mr Havi stormed courts at the Milimani law courts and asked the magistrate to adjourn proceedings for today (yesterday) as lawyers register their dissatisfaction with the conduct of some judicial officers which they claimed is wanting.
“The LSK which you were members before joining the bench is asking for your intervention by adjourning proceedings in solidarity with its request to all lawyers to boycott courts today (July 22,2026) due to some alleged corrupt judicial officer who disregard integrity by engaging corrupt dealings,” Mr Kanjama told magistrates Teresia Nyagena and Paul Mutai at the Milimani law courts.
The LSK head said the course being championed by the lawyers is “for the common good to all the consumers of justice.”
When the LSK president appeared before magistrate Paul Mutai he stated: “We are having a one-day court boycott where lawyers are withdrawing their services as directed by their professional body while exercising their rights under Articles 51 and 37 of the Constitution.”
Urging Mr Mutai to join the other magistrates in adjourning cases Mr Kanjama informed him it was “only him who was exceptional.”
The president urged “we are making this firm and reasonable request that you adjourn these proceedings to allow the lawyers appearing in these proceedings to participate in the boycott.”
He said the exercise is very important as LSK is fighting for effectiveness in the administration of justice which magistrates and judges fight to achieve.
In his address to the magistrate Mr Theuri said there have been allegations that decisions of the court are influenced by other factors not facts of the cases before them.
Mr Theuri told the court that afew judicial officers have been influenced in their work thereby “soiling the entire image of the judiciary.”
On his part Mr Havi urged the magistrate before whom he appeared that the LSK was giving them “a one days off”.
He said there is always no gain without pain.
Emeritus Havi said corruption must be fought out from the judiciary.
Both Ms Nyagena and Mr Mutai told the LSK leaders that they had been instructed by the CJ to carry out their duties.
Prosecuting counsel did not oppose the pleas by LSK to have the cases they were undertaking adjourned.
The magistrate eventually adjourned the cases to other dates.
However, fresh cases which included traffic cases and criminal cases were tried as the lawyer’s Article 49 of the Constitution required they should not be kept in custody for over 24 hours.rts to adjourn proceedings in their bid to implement a lawyers’ one-days boycott to judicial cases countrywide.
The lawyers claimed that the Chief Justice Martha Koome took off and did not meet them.
LSK through its President Charles Kanjama his two former predecessors Nelson Havi and Eric Theuri asked magistrate’s at the Milimani law courts to adjourn cases in solidarity with the lawyers' call to judicial boycott over alleged corruption.
On Monday the LSK President had sent out a memo notifying the Judiciary about the intended July 22,2026 judicial boycott by lawyers.
LSK has named 12 judges and one magistrate whom advocates will boycott from Thursday (July 23 2026) over court orders that have halted disciplinary proceedings by the Judicial Service Commission.
Mr Kanja , Mr Theuri and Mr Havi stormed courts at the Milimani law courts and asked the magistrate to adjourn proceedings for today (yesterday) as lawyer register their dissatisfaction with the conduct of some judicial officers which they claimed is wanting.
“The LSK which you were members before joining the bench is asking for your intervention by adjourning proceedings in solidarity with its request to all lawyers to boycott courts today (July 22,2026) due to some alleged corrupt judicial officer who disregard integrity by engaging corrupt dealings,” Mr Kanjama told magistrates Teresia Nyagena and Paul Mutai at the Milimani law courts.
The LSK head said the course being championed by the lawyers is “for the common good to all the consumers of justice.”
When the LSK president appeared before magistrate Paul Mutai he stated: “We are having a one-day court boycott where lawyers are withdrawing their services as directed by their professional body while exercising their rights under Articles 51 and 37 of the Constitution.”
Urging Mr Mutai to join the other magistrates in adjourning cases Mr Kanjama informed him it was “only him who was exceptional.”
The president urged “we are making this firm and reasonable request that you adjourn these proceedings to allow the lawyers appearing in these proceedings to participate in the boycott.”
He said the exercise is very important as LSK is fighting for effectiveness in the administration of justice which magistrates and judges fight to achieve.
In his address to the magistrate Mr Theuri said there have been allegations that decisions of the court are influenced by other factors not facts of the cases before them.
Mr Theuri told the court that afew judicial officers have been influenced in their work thereby “soiling the entire image of the judiciary.”
On his part Mr Havi urged the magistrate before whom they appeared that the LSK was giving them “a one days off”.
He said there is always no gain without pain.
Emeritus Havi said corruption must be fought out from the judiciary.
Both Ms Nyagena and Mr Mutai told the LSK leaders that they had been instructed by the CJ to carry out their duties.
Prosecuting counsel did not oppose the pleas by LSK to have the cases they were undertaking adjourned.
The magistrate eventually adjourned the cases to other dates.
However, fresh cases which included traffic cases and criminal cases were tried as the lawyer’s Article 49 of the Constitution required they should not be kept in custody for over 24 hours.