Lawyers ask court to settle Law Society of Kenya dispute

Eight lawyers who had been barred from convening a special general meeting to oust Law Society of Kenya's (LSK) council now want their case to be settled before another LSK meeting later this month.

The lawyers, who are in the Okoa LSK group, brought a new twist to the case by filing a counter-claim against the Erick Mutua-led council over the resolutions of the society's meeting on March 21 this year.

"Given the crisis that has gripped the Law Society of Kenya since March 21, 2015, I believe that it is in the best interest of all its members and of the society that this case is heard and determined before the next meeting so that the question as to whether the resolutions passed on March 21, 2015 are valid or not is resolved," said the application before High Court judge Joseph Sergon.

LSK council had asked the court to nullify the resolutions of the meeting in which the furore over the Sh1.2 billion arbitration centre erupted. Edwin Sifuna, Aluso Ingati, Kinyanjui Theuri, Kimani Waweru, Wambugu Gitonga, Alex Gatundu, Jaqueline Manani and Faith Waigwa argued that the decisions of the meeting were valid.

"This suit is a part of a consistent strategy by the LSK council of the plaintiff to undermine and subvert the supreme authority of the plaintiff and all mechanisms and processes provided by the statute for the expression of the will of the supreme authority whereof it is an abuse of the process of the court," they said.

The case will be mentioned on September 18.