Kenyan lawyer elected East Africa Law Society Secretary General

Kigali, Rwanda: The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Council Member Mr. Godfrey Nathan Kitiwa is the new East Africa Law Society (EALS) Secretary General.

The immediate former LSK Kisumu Branch Chairman Mr. Charles Onyango is also the new Deputy Treasurer while lawyer Ms. Harriet Chiggai a Council Member of the regional lawyers body.

The trio was elected during hotly contested regional elections in Kigali, Rwanda on Saturday that attracted lawyers from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Zanzibar.

The regional polls were held at the Serena Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda on Saturday during the EALS Annual General Meeting (AGM).

“I am happy to be elected SG of the EALS and I shall ensure that our objectives are met,” Mr. Kitiwa said amid cheers from regional lawyers.

Mr. Kitiwa who is also on his second term as a LSK Council Member encouraged Bar Associations in the region to ensure Governments uphold the Rule of Law.

“Lawyers must lead from the front and ensure that constitutions and the Rule of Law are upheld towards democracy and stability,” Mr. Kitiwa said.

The newly elected EALS Deputy Treasurer Mr. Charles Onyango and Council Member Ms. Harriet Chiggai thanked regional lawyers for their votes.

“I will do my best as a Council Member following the trust bestowed upon me by my learned friends from East Africa,” Ms. Chiggai said.

Mr. Nasur Hamisi from Zanzibar also took over the EALS Presidency from LSK Council Member Mr. James Aggrey Mwamu who completed his successful two-year term.

The new EALS Secretary General Mr. Godfrey Kitiwa who has succeeded Tanzanian Mr. Ibrahim Bendera said that he would champion the cause of the regional professional body.

Before the elections, the EALS held its Annual Conference that attracted over 800 lawyers under the theme advancing the Legal Profession in East Africa: Trends and Patterns.

Outgoing EALS President Mr. James Aggrey Mwamu, Rwanda Chief Justice Prof. Sam Rugege, and Attorney General Mr. Johnson Busingye addressed the opening of the Conference.

The AGM also passed a motion to include the Ethiopia Bar Association (EBA) as the seventh EALS member.

The other EALS members are Law society of Kenya, Tanganyika Law Society, Uganda Law Society, Burundi Bar Association, Rwanda Bar Association and Zanzibar Law Society.

The EALS is the largest professional organization in East Africa, with a specific focus on the professional development of its members.

The regional body also has a focus on the promotion of constitutionalism, democracy and good governance, the Rule of Law and the advancement, promotion and protection of human rights.