Public to benefit from free legal services

The public will benefit from free legal services this week during the annual Law Society of Kenya (LSK) free legal aid week.

Chief Justice Willy Mutunga will lead more than 7,000 lawyers countrywide in providing the free legal services, to ensure thousands of Kenyans access justice.

The exercise will kick off at the Milimani Law Courts parking yard in Nairobi at 9am. LSK Secretary General Apollo Mboya said 7,176 lawyers countrywide will offer free legal aid to members of the public from Monday to Friday.

"The objective of the Legal Awareness Week is to promote the mandate of the LSK by extending legal literacy and awareness to the public," Mr Mboya said.

The LSK free legal week is aimed at breaking barriers to legal aid that have traditionally closed the window to affordable services.

Despite the courts having generally opened up during the country's new constitutional dispensation, various factors such as lack of information and exorbitant legal fees have conspired to deny millions of Kenyans access to justice.

The theme of this year's Legal Awareness Week is Justice Through Sustainable Legal Aid. Mboya said the public will also be advised on various aspects of the law and civic education. "Lawyers will be stationed at High Courts countrywide during the week long exercise," Mboya said. The theme for last year's event was Access to Justice Through Pro Bono Representation.